It can really be simple to overlook the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you pick the wrong tire for your forklift, you can put huge increases on your operating expenses, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you pick correct kind of tire you can enjoy improved safety, substantial cost-savings and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire could really decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the equipment; hence, it is easy to select the wrong type accidentally. There are so many different types of tires and brands, with a huge array of treads and compounds. This means you must be fully prepared with the correct information when you are buying tires so that you could decide on some durable and safe options to help extend the life of your forklift.
Your company must choose the particular tire for their equipment according to the kind of surface the equipment would be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for instance, would usually utilize tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor applications 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
Each year, there are about 200 individuals killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring lift truck safety, like correct inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these terrible and dangerous mishaps from occurring.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift needs to be inspected prior to each and every shift. Tires should ideally have the right air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is extremely important because if the tire pressure is too low, the machine 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 best option.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent utilization of lift trucks. These lift trucks are required to be inspected at the end of each shift. The operator should inspect the machinery for any type of mechanical problems and the tires need to be looked over for excessive wear, cuts or apparent tire damage. Any issues that are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.