When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it can be easy to overlook the simple yet important tire. If you pick the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating costs, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If however, you select correct tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire can really decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
Tires are actually somewhat complex parts on the machine; hence, it is easy to choose the wrong one accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and kinds, with various compounds and treads. This means you have to be totally prepared with the correct data when you are purchasing tires so that you could choose some durable and safe alternatives to help extend the life of your forklift.
Your company should choose the specific tire for their machinery according to the kind of surface the equipment would be operated on. Smoother surfaces and indoor applications for example, would generally utilize tires of a smaller size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor applications need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These features give them a good grip on surfaces that are uneven and rough.
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 proper inspection practices, could all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from occurring.
Pre-Work Inspection
Before each shift, the lift truck's tires have to be checked. Ideally, they should have the right air pressure, as set forth by the manufacturer. This is really essential because if the tire pressure is very low, the equipment could accidentally tip over when a load is being raised.
Types
The tires used on indoor lift trucks will be made out of solid rubber.
Other Considerations
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent utilization of forklifts. These forklifts must be checked at the end of every shift. The driver must check the machinery for any kind of mechanical issues and the tires should be checked for cuts, excessive wear or obvious tire damage. Any issues which are detected should be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.