When it comes to maintaining the lift truck, it could really be easy to neglect the simple yet important tire. If you pick 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 type of tire you could enjoy improved safety, substantial cost-savings and an overall more efficient operation. A properly selected tire can actually decrease the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40% longer.
Tires are actually somewhat complex parts on the machine; thus, it is easy to pick the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different types of tires and brands, with various treads and compounds. This means you must be totally prepared with the right data when you are going shopping for tires so that you could choose some durable and safe alternatives to help prolong the life of your forklift.
Your company should decide on the particular tire for their equipment according to the kind of surface the machine 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 contrary, outdoor operations require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on surfaces that are uneven and rough.
Forklift Tire Safety
Every year, 200 people are killed in lift truck or forklift related accidents each year. Ensuring lift truck safety, like proper inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these terrible and dangerous mishaps from taking place.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the lift truck needs to be checked prior to every shift. Tires should ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is really vital because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can inadvertently tip over when a load is being lifted.
Types
For indoor work, forklifts that have solid tires made out of rubber are the best choice.
Other factors
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the continual utilization of forklifts. These forklifts should be checked at the end of each and every shift. The operator must check the machine for any kind of mechanical issues and the tires need to be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues that are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.