It could really be simple to neglect the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you choose the wrong tire for your lift truck, you can put large increases on your operating costs, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If however, you pick correct tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A correctly chosen tire can really decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex component of the machine. It is thus, easy to select the wrong type accidentally. There are so many different types of tires and brands, with a huge variety of compounds and treads. This means you should be fully prepared with the correct data when you are purchasing tires so that you could choose some safe and durable options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
Your company should select the specific tire for their equipment according to the type of surface the machinery will be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for instance, will normally utilize tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces that are uneven and rough.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are about 200 people killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring lift truck safety, like correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to avoiding these dangerous and horrible accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift have to be inspected before every shift. Tires should ideally have the right air pressure, which is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is very essential because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can accidentally tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
The tires used on indoor lift trucks would be made out of solid rubber.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent utilization of lift trucks. These lift trucks should be checked at the end of each shift. The driver should inspect the machinery for any kind of mechanical issues and the tires need to be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or obvious tire damage. Any issues that are detected must be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.