It could really be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you pick 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 choose correct tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire could really lessen the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
The lift truck tire is a somewhat complex component of the equipment. It is therefore, easy to choose the wrong type accidentally. There are lots of different brands of tires and types, with a huge array of treads and compounds. This means you must be fully prepared with the correct information when you are going shopping for tires so that you can decide on some safe and tough options to help extend the life of your forklift.
Your company must choose the particular tire for their machine based on the kind of surface the equipment would be operated on. Smoother surfaces and indoor applications for instance, will usually utilize tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor applications require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on rough and uneven surfaces.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are roughly 200 people killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, like for example correct inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these terrible and dangerous mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the lift truck have 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 very important because if the tire pressure is very low, the equipment could inadvertently tip over when a load is being lifted.
Types
For indoor work, lift trucks which have solid tires made out of rubber are the most suitable option.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent use of forklifts. These lift trucks should be inspected at the end of each shift. The operator needs to inspect the machinery for any mechanical issues and the tires should be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or obvious tire damage. Any issues that are detected must be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.