When it comes to maintaining the lift truck, it can really be easy to overlook the simple yet important tire. If you select the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating expenses, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you pick right type of tire you could enjoy substantial cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A properly selected tire can actually decrease the downtime for replacement and probably last 40% longer.
Tires are actually somewhat complex components on the machine; therefore, it is easy to choose the wrong type accidentally. There are numerous different brands of tires and types, with a huge array of compounds and treads. This means you need to be totally prepared with the correct information when you are going shopping for tires so that you can decide on some durable and safe alternatives to help extend the life of your forklift.
The particular type of tire chosen for a forklift depends on the type of surface you would be using the machine on. For instance, indoor applications and smooth surfaces usually utilize tires that are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the contrary, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires are filled with compressed air and have a rubber tread. These characteristics give them a great grip on uneven and rough surfaces.
Lift Truck Tire Safety
Each year, there are about 200 people killed in accidents related for forklift use. Ensuring lift truck safety, like correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and terrible mishaps from happening.
Pre-Work Check
The tires of the forklift needs to be inspected before every shift. Tires must ideally have the right air pressure, that is set by the manufacturer of the tire. This is extremely vital because if the tire pressure is too low, the machine could 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 best alternative.
Other Considerations
Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA places a requirement on the frequent use of lift trucks. These lift trucks are required to be checked at the end of each shift. The driver must check the machine for any kind of mechanical problems and the tires must be checked for excessive wear, cuts or apparent tire damage. Any problems that are detected must be addressed as soon as possible to maintain safety.