Every equipment needs proper maintenance to ensure it serves the work requirement beyond its warranty period. The forklifts and other material handling equipment at your storage facility needs maintenance too for maximum safety and reliability. One cannot expect that any piece of machinery will continue working flawlessly unless trained engineers, operators, and technicians are spending ample time in maintaining it. Negligence towards forklift maintenance can not only pose challenges in its smooth functioning but also cost money and cause accidents that may affect your material handling productivity and smooth operation.
Regular maintenance not only helps to keep your forklift in a good working condition but also decreases expenditures. Timely forklift maintenance can identify issues and help rectify them before it causes a serious problem that can result in loss of business and fatal injuries.
Here are a few tips that will help for forklift maintenance and ensure reaping business benefits from it for a longer duration.
Start with cleaning the forklift
Gathering proper knowledge about the basics during forklift training is the key to ensure proper forklift maintenance. Cleaning the forklift is the first thing operators must do before forklift operation. This practice will help remove excess oil and dirt allowing the vital parts of the forklift to work smoothly.
Check for leakages and change the oil for better performance
Regularly changing the oil is the most important part of forklift maintenance. It ensures that all the parts of a forklift are well lubricated and there is no sludge formation or corrosion. Failing to change the oil regularly can affect forklift operation as it causes friction between the machine parts leading to damage to the forklift’s efficiency and longevity. Hence changing the oil of the machine regularly is highly recommended. Check for any leakages before you start the forklift, especially for oil leakages. If you observe oil leakages or hear the sound of machine parts brushing against each other, report the issue immediately before it causes more damage.
Move on to check the braking system
Brakes are as important for a forklift as it is to any other vehicle. So, it is essential to check the braking system as soon as you get behind the wheels. A forklift loads and unloads weights all the time and hence needs a fully functional braking system to bear the load and avoid any damage to the objects being moved or accidents. If you observe issues with the braking system, don’t overlook them. It is a concern that needs to be escalated to the supervisor and get it fixed.
Check the tire pressure
Tires enable a forklift to perform the loading and unloading function efficiently. They help in bearing the weight and facilitate easy movements while carrying the load. Hence, it is important for a forklift operator to check the gas pressure in the tires before operating the forklift. Insufficient gas pressure that is over-inflated and under-inflated tires can cause poor traction which can increase the risk of accidents and load damage. It is recommended to inflate the tires with the right amount of gas pressure and check for proper gas pressure before loading or unloading.
A daily forklift checklist is an important part of forklift training as strengthens the basics of forklift operation. The checklist consists of checking for things mentioned above and many more for identifying and rectifying defects and issues with a forklift to eliminate the risk of accidents and load damage. If you are looking for forklift training or annual forklift maintenance, OM is a leading forklift manufacturer in India that also offers you a wide range of forklifts to buy.
