It could really be simple to overlook the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you choose the wrong tire for your forklift, you can put large increases on your operating costs, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you choose correct tire you could enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A correctly chosen tire can actually decrease the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a quite complex component of the machinery. It is thus, easy to choose the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different brands of tires and types, with different treads and compounds. This means you should be totally prepared with the right information when you are buying tires so that you can select some safe and tough options to help extend the life of your forklift.
The specific kind of tire selected for a lift truck depends on the type of surface you will be utilizing the machine on. For instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces generally utilize tires that are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the contrary, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces which are uneven and rough.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are approximately 200 individuals killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, like correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these horrible and dangerous mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift have to be checked prior to every shift. Tires should ideally have the proper air pressure, that is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is very important because if the tire pressure is too low, the equipment could accidentally tip over when a load is being lifted.
Kinds
For indoor work, lift trucks that have solid tires made out of rubber are the best alternative.
Other Considerations
Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA places a requirement on the continual use of lift trucks. These forklifts should be checked at the end of each and every shift. The driver should check the machinery for any mechanical problems and the tires should be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or apparent tire damage. Any issues which are detected have to be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.