It could be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you pick the wrong tire for your forklift, you could put large increases on your operating costs, and more significantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you choose right type of tire you could enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A properly chosen tire could actually decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the machine; hence, it is easy to pick the wrong kind accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and kinds, with a huge variety of compounds and treads. This means you should be completely prepared with the correct information when you are purchasing tires so that you can choose some durable and safe options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
The particular kind of tire chosen for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you would be utilizing the equipment on. For instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces usually utilize tires that are made from rubber and that are a smaller size. On the other hand, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These characteristics give them a great grip on rough and uneven surfaces.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each and every year, 200 individuals are killed in lift truck or forklift related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like correct inspection practices, could all contribute in to avoiding these dangerous and horrible accidents from taking place.
Pre-Work Inspection
Prior to every shift, the lift truck's tires have to be checked. Ideally, they should have the right air pressure, as set forth by the maker. This is really important because if the tire pressure is very 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 Considerations
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA require that forklifts used on a continual basis have to be checked at the completion of each shift. The operator should check the machinery for any mechanical problems and the tires must be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected need to be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.