It could be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you select the wrong tire for your forklift, you can put huge increases on your operating costs, and more significantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you select right tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A properly selected tire could really reduce the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the machinery; thus, it is easy to pick the wrong kind accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and kinds, with various compounds and treads. This means you must be fully prepared with the right data when you are going shopping for tires so that you could choose some safe and durable options to help extend the life of your lift truck.
The particular kind of tire chosen for a lift truck depends on the kind of surface you will be utilizing the machinery on. Like for instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces normally utilize tires which are made from rubber and that are a smaller size. On the contrary, outdoor applications require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces that are rough and uneven.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Every year, 200 individuals are killed in lift truck or forklift related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like for instance proper inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these horrible and dangerous mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
Before each shift, the lift truck's tires have to be checked. Ideally, they should have the proper air pressure, as set forth by the manufacturer. This is very vital because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can accidentally tip over when a load is being raised.
Types
For indoor work, lift trucks which have solid tires made out of rubber are the best option.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the continual utilization of lift trucks. These forklifts should be checked at the end of every shift. The operator has to inspect the machinery for any type of mechanical issues and the tires have to be looked over for excessive wear, cuts or apparent tire damage. Any issues which are detected should be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.