When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it can be easy to overlook the simple yet essential tire. If you choose the wrong tire, you can end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating costs, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you select right tire you could enjoy improved safety, substantial cost-savings and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire could actually decrease the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40 percent longer.
Tires are actually quite complex parts on the machinery; therefore, it is easy to pick the wrong one accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and kinds, with various treads and compounds. This means you must be completely prepared with the right information when you are going shopping for tires so that you can select some safe and durable options to help prolong the life of your lift truck.
Your business must choose the particular tire for their machinery according to the type of surface the equipment would be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for example, will normally utilize tires of a smaller size and made from rubber. On the contrary, outdoor applications require 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 year, there are approximately 200 people killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring forklift safety, like for instance correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Inspection
Before 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 maker. This is extremely vital because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can accidentally tip over when a load is being lifted.
Types
For indoor work, lift trucks which have solid tires made out of rubber are the best alternative.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the continual utilization of lift trucks. These forklifts must be inspected at the end of each and every shift. The operator has to check the equipment for any type of mechanical problems and the tires must be checked for excessive wear, cuts or apparent tire damage. Any problems which are detected must be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.