It can really be simple to overlook the essential tire, when it comes to the maintenance of the lift truck. When you choose 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 substantial 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% longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex component of the equipment. It is therefore, easy to select the wrong one accidentally. There are so many different brands of tires and kinds, with a wide array of compounds and treads. This means you need to be totally prepared with the correct data when you are buying tires so that you can decide on some safe and durable options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
Your business should choose the particular tire for their equipment based on the type of surface the machine would be operated on. Indoor applications and smoother surfaces for example, would normally use tires that are smaller in size and made from rubber. On the other hand, outdoor operations 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.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each year, there are about 200 individuals killed in accidents related for lift truck use. Ensuring forklift safety, such as proper inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible accidents from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the lift truck needs to be checked before every shift. Tires should ideally have the proper air pressure, which is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is very essential because if the tire pressure is too low, the machine could inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Kinds
For indoor work, lift trucks that have solid tires made out of rubber are the best choice.
Other Considerations
The OHSA or Occupational Health and Safety Administration require that lift trucks used on a continual basis have to be checked at the completion of every shift. The driver needs to inspect the machine for any mechanical problems and the tires must be looked over for excessive wear, cuts or obvious damage to the tires. Any issues which are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.