It could really be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you choose the wrong tire for your lift truck, you can put huge increases on your operating expenses, and more significantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you choose correct tire you could enjoy improved safety, substantial cost-savings and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire can really reduce the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40 percent longer.
Tires are actually quite complex parts on the equipment; hence, it is easy to choose the wrong one accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and types, with a huge variety of compounds and treads. This means you must be completely prepared with the correct information when you are buying tires so that you can choose some durable and safe options to help prolong the life of your lift truck.
The specific type of tire chosen for a lift truck depends on the type of surface you would be utilizing the machine on. For instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces usually use tires that are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the other hand, outdoor operations require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These features give them a good grip on surfaces which are rough and uneven.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, 200 individuals are killed in forklift or lift truck related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like proper inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Inspection
Prior to each and every 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 extremely vital because if the tire pressure is too low, the machine could accidentally tip over when a load is being lifted.
Types
For indoor work, lift trucks that have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable choice.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the continual use of forklifts. These forklifts must be checked at the end of each shift. The operator needs to check the machinery for any mechanical problems and the tires must be checked for cuts, excessive wear or obvious damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.