It can really be simple to neglect the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you choose the wrong tire for your forklift, you could put large increases on your operating expenses, and more importantly increase your safety risks. If on the other hand, you pick right tire you can enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A properly selected tire could really decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
Tires are actually somewhat complex parts on the equipment; hence, it is easy to pick the wrong type accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and kinds, with various compounds and treads. This means you should be fully prepared with the right information when you are purchasing tires so that you can decide on some safe and durable options to help extend the life of your lift truck.
The particular type of tire selected for a forklift depends on the kind of surface you would be utilizing the equipment on. Like for instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces usually use tires that are made from rubber and that are a smaller size. 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 good grip on uneven and rough surfaces.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are roughly 200 individuals killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, like for instance proper inspection practices, can all contribute in to avoiding these terrible and dangerous accidents from taking place.
Pre-Work Inspection
The tires of the forklift have to be inspected before each and every shift. Tires should ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is really important because if the tire pressure is very low, the equipment can 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
Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA places a requirement on the frequent utilization of forklifts. These lift trucks should be checked at the end of every shift. The driver must inspect the machinery for any kind of mechanical issues and the tires need to be checked for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected should be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.