When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it can really be easy to overlook the simple yet important tire. If you select the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating expenses, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If however, you select correct tire you could enjoy improved safety, significant cost-savings and an overall more efficient operation. A correctly selected tire can really decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a quite complex part of the equipment. It is thus, easy to pick the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different brands of tires and types, with various compounds and treads. This means you should be completely prepared with the right data when you are going shopping for tires so that you can choose some safe and tough options to help extend the life of your lift truck.
Your business should select the particular tire for their machine based on the kind of surface the machinery would be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for instance, would usually utilize tires of a smaller size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor applications require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a good grip on uneven and rough surfaces.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each year, there are approximately 200 individuals killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring forklift safety, such as proper inspection practices, could all contribute in to avoiding these dangerous and horrible mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Inspection
The tires of the lift truck have to be checked prior to each shift. Tires must ideally have the right air pressure, which is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is very essential because if the tire pressure is very low, the machinery can inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
For indoor work, forklifts that have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable alternative.
Other Considerations
Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA places a requirement on the frequent utilization of lift trucks. These forklifts should be inspected at the end of every shift. The driver needs to inspect the machine for any mechanical problems and the tires must be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or obvious tire damage. Any issues that are detected should be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.