It could be simple to neglect the essential 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 significantly increase your safety risks. If however, you select correct type of tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more efficient operation. A properly selected tire could actually decrease the downtime for replacement and potentially last 40% longer.
Tires are really somewhat complex components on the machine; hence, it is easy to select the wrong kind accidentally. There are so many different kinds of tires and brands, with a huge array of compounds and treads. This means you should be completely prepared with the correct information when you are buying tires so that you can decide on some safe and durable alternatives to help prolong the life of your lift truck.
Your business must select the particular tire for their equipment according to the kind of surface the machinery will be operated on. Smoother surfaces and indoor applications for example, will generally utilize tires of a smaller size and made from rubber. On the contrary, outdoor operations require pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These features give them a good grip on uneven and rough surfaces.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Every year, 200 individuals are killed in forklift or lift truck related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like proper inspection practices, could all contribute in to avoiding these horrible and dangerous mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Inspection
Prior to every shift, the forklift's tires need to be checked. Ideally, they should have the right air pressure, as set forth by the manufacturer. This is really important because if the tire pressure is too low, the equipment can inadvertently tip over when a load is being lifted.
Types
For indoor work, forklifts which have solid tires made out of rubber are the best option.
Other factors
The OHSA or Occupational Health and Safety Administration require that forklifts used on a continual basis need to be inspected at the completion of each shift. The operator must check the machine for any type of mechanical issues and the tires must be checked for cuts, excessive wear or obvious tire damage. Any issues that are detected have to be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.