It can be simple to neglect the important tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the forklift. When you select the wrong tire for your lift truck, you could put huge increases on your operating costs, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you choose right kind of tire you can enjoy improved safety, significant cost-savings and an overall more effective operation. A properly selected tire can really lessen the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the machinery; hence, it is easy to choose the wrong kind accidentally. There are a lot of different types of tires and brands, with different treads and compounds. This means you have to be totally prepared with the correct data when you are going shopping for tires so that you could choose some safe and durable alternatives to help extend the life of your lift truck.
The particular kind of tire selected for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you would be using the machinery on. Like for example, smoother surfaces and indoor applications generally use tires which are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the contrary, outdoor operations 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 uneven and rough.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are approximately 200 people killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring forklift safety, like correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to avoiding these dangerous and horrible mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift needs to be inspected before every shift. Tires should ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is extremely essential because if the tire pressure is too low, the machine can accidentally tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
For indoor work, lift trucks which have solid tires made out of rubber are the best alternative.
Other Considerations
OSHA or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration places a requirement on the frequent use of lift trucks. These lift trucks should be checked at the end of each and every shift. The driver must inspect the machinery for any mechanical issues and the tires should be inspected for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected should be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.