Forklift Training: Maintenance Tips That Guarantee Safety and Improved Forklift Performance
Part of forklift training involves how to keep the machine well serviced and maintained. As an operator these are necessary skills for you to learn. Neglecting your machine can lead to frequent breakdowns, constant repairs, and replacements. It may even put your life at risk. Proper service and maintenance, however, ensure that your forklift is safe to use and reliable for years on end. So it's imperative that you understand how to maintain and service a forklift – not just to get the most out of your investment, but also to reduce forklift accidents. Here are a few essential forklift maintenance tips to always remember.
Perform Regular Forklift Inspections
One easy way of detecting potential problems with your forklift is to inspect it every day. Before you put it to use, check for faltering breaks and leaky hoses. Doing so helps detect problems early on, which can save you time and money.
Use a standardized checklist before every shift to ensure you cover the areas of greatest concern. Elements on a standardized checklist include:
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Brake performance
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Forks and overhead guards
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Fluid levels
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Seat belt function
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Tire pressure and conditions
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Hoses
Follow a Maintenance Schedule
Regular maintenance is essential to keeping your forklift in good working condition. However, different manufacturers will recommend different schedules for regular upkeep. Keep in mind the recommendations provided by the manufacturer when putting together a maintenance schedule for your forklift.
Manufacturers will often recommend inspections and service after specific periods of time. They may, for example, recommend changing the oil after every three months. Or they may recommend it after a certain amount of hours of use, such as after 1,000, 500 or 250 hours.
These maintenance checks, such as oil changes, spark plug replacements, tire condition inspections, etc. are essential to keeping your forklift in good condition so that you can get the most out of it. Use a maintenance schedule to ensure these checks are performed.
Check the Tires
Inspect the forklift tires for wear and tear. This is especially important if you regularly subject it to tasks on rough paths around the warehouse, but as forklift tires are nearly always in motion wear and tear is inevitable regardless of where it is used. Regular inspection of your tires helps to ensure that necessary tire replacements are made in a timely manner. Be sure to also check the pressure and tread levels on the tires on a daily basis.
A forklift training course can provide you with more information on proper forklift service and maintenance.