When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it can really be easy to overlook the simple yet essential tire. If you choose 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 on the other hand, you pick right kind of tire you can enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A correctly chosen tire could actually decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex component of the machinery. It is therefore, easy to pick the wrong type accidentally. There are numerous different types of tires and brands, with various treads and compounds. This means you should be totally prepared with the correct data when you are buying tires so that you could decide on some durable and safe alternatives to help extend the life of your forklift.
The specific kind of tire chosen for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you will be utilizing the machine on. For instance, smoother surfaces and indoor applications generally utilize tires that are made from rubber and that are a smaller size. On the contrary, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These features give them a good grip on surfaces that are rough and uneven.
Forklift Tire Safety
Every year, 200 people are killed in forklift or lift truck related accidents each year. Ensuring lift truck safety, such as correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to avoiding these terrible and dangerous mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Inspection
The tires of the lift truck have to be checked prior to each and every shift. Tires must ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is very vital because if the tire pressure is too low, the equipment could inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
For indoor work, lift trucks which have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable option.
Other Considerations
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA require that lift trucks utilized on a continual basis need to be checked at the completion of each shift. The driver needs to inspect the machinery for any mechanical issues and the tires have to be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or apparent tire damage. Any issues that are detected should be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.