When it comes to maintaining the forklift, it could really be easy to neglect the simple yet important tire. If you select the wrong tire, you could end up accidentally with a huge increase in fleet operating costs, or increased safety risks, which is worse yet. If on the other hand, you pick right tire you can enjoy significant cost-savings, improved safety and an overall more effective operation. A correctly chosen tire can really lessen the downtime for replacement and probably last 40 percent longer.
The forklift tire is a somewhat complex part of the machine. It is therefore, easy to select the wrong type accidentally. There are a lot of different kinds of tires and brands, with a wide array of compounds and treads. This means you should be completely prepared with the right information when you are purchasing tires so that you can choose some safe and tough options to help prolong the life of your forklift.
The particular type of tire chosen for a lift truck depends on the kind of surface you would be using the machinery on. For instance, smoother surfaces and indoor applications usually utilize tires which are made from rubber and that are smaller in size. On the contrary, outdoor operations need pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a rubber tread and are filled with compressed air. These features give them a great grip on uneven and rough surfaces.
Forklift Tire Safety
Each and every year, 200 people are killed in lift truck or forklift related accidents each year. Ensuring forklift safety, like for example correct inspection practices, can all contribute in to preventing these dangerous and horrible mishaps 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 right air pressure, which is set by the tire manufacturer. This is really important because if the tire pressure is very low, the machine can inadvertently tip over when a load is being raised.
Types
The tires used on indoor lift trucks will be made out of solid rubber.
Other factors
Occupational Health and Safety Administration or OSHA places a requirement on the frequent use of lift trucks. These forklifts must be inspected at the end of every shift. The driver should inspect the equipment for any type of mechanical issues and the tires must be inspected for cuts, excessive wear or apparent tire damage. Any problems which are detected must be dealt with as soon as possible to maintain safety.