It can be simple to neglect the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you select the wrong tire for your forklift, you can put large increases on your operating costs, and more significantly increase your safety risks. If however, you select right tire you could enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A correctly selected tire can really lessen the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40% longer.
Tires are actually somewhat complex components on the machinery; therefore, it is easy to choose the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different brands of tires and kinds, with different compounds and treads. This means you should be totally prepared with the right data when you are buying tires so that you can decide on some tough and safe options to help prolong the life of your lift truck.
Your business must select the specific tire for their machine according to the type of surface the equipment would be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for example, will usually utilize tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the contrary, outdoor applications require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These features give them a good grip on surfaces which are rough and uneven.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each year, there are approximately 200 people killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring lift truck safety, such as correct inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and terrible accidents from occurring.
Pre-Work Inspection
Prior to each shift, the forklift's tires have to be inspected. Ideally, they should have the proper air pressure, as set forth by the manufacturer. This is very important because if the tire pressure is very low, the equipment can inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Types
For indoor work, forklifts that have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable choice.
Other Considerations
The OHSA or Occupational Health and Safety Administration require that forklifts used on a continual basis need to be inspected at the completion of each and every shift. The operator should inspect the equipment for any type of mechanical issues and the tires need to be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or obvious damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected should be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.