It can really be simple to overlook the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you pick the wrong tire for your forklift, you can put huge increases on your operating costs, and more significantly increase your safety risks. If however, you pick correct kind of tire you can enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A properly selected tire can actually reduce the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex part of the equipment. It is thus, easy to choose the wrong type accidentally. There are lots of different brands of tires and types, with different compounds and treads. This means you must be fully prepared with the right information when you are going shopping for tires so that you can decide on some durable and safe alternatives to help prolong the life of your forklift.
Your business must decide on the specific tire for their machine based on the type of surface the machine would be operated on. Smoother surfaces and indoor applications for example, will usually use tires of a smaller size and made from rubber. On the contrary, outdoor applications require 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.
Forklift Tire Safety
Every year, 200 people are killed in forklift or lift truck related accidents each year. Ensuring lift truck safety, like correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to avoiding these dangerous and horrible mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
Prior to each shift, the lift truck's tires need to be inspected. Ideally, they should have the proper air pressure, as set forth by the maker. This is very important because if the tire pressure is too low, the machinery can inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
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 use of forklifts. These lift trucks are required to be inspected at the end of every shift. The driver must inspect the machinery for any mechanical issues and the tires should be looked over for excessive wear, cuts or apparent damage to the tires. Any problems which are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.