When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it can really be easy to overlook the simple yet important tire. If you choose the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating costs, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you pick right tire you could enjoy improved safety, substantial cost-savings and an overall more efficient operation. A properly chosen tire could actually lessen the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
The lift truck tire is a somewhat complex component of the machinery. It is thus, easy to choose the wrong type accidentally. There are lots of different brands of tires and kinds, with various compounds and treads. This means you need to be fully prepared with the correct information when you are buying tires so that you could decide on some tough and safe alternatives to help extend the life of your forklift.
The specific kind of tire selected for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you would be utilizing the machine on. Like for example, smoother surfaces and indoor applications normally utilize tires which 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 which are uneven and rough.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each year, there are about 200 people killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, like proper inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these horrible and dangerous accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift have to be inspected before every shift. Tires must ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is really essential because if the tire pressure is too low, the equipment can inadvertently tip over when a load is being lifted.
Kinds
For indoor work, forklifts which have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable option.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the continual use of forklifts. These forklifts are required to be checked at the end of each shift. The operator should check the machine for any kind of mechanical issues and the tires have to be looked over for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues that are detected need to be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.