Caring for your company’s forklift equipment properly will prevent injuries and reduce maintenance costs. Planned maintenance is one of the most important elements of keeping your forklifts working correctly. Here are some of the ways planned maintenance will be able to save your company money.
Invest in Quality Parts
One of the important aspects of maintaining a forklift is investing in quality parts. It is easy for a lot of companies to cut costs on parts to try and limit how much they spend. Correctly maintaining the forklift parts will reduce how often the equipment breaks down. It can prevent serious accidents and injuries.
Review PM Inspection Reports
Another important element of forklift maintenance is to review the PM inspection form. This will show you how the forklifts are being inspected and if they are maintained correctly. One of the inspections that must be done is to test the way grease is moving around the equipment. It helps to know where the grease is and if it going through the forklift correctly.
Schedule Forklift Maintenance Dates
Always schedule routine maintenance dates to help the forklifts stay in proper condition. Failure to schedule your maintenance can lead to forklifts that are not serviced on time, increasing the risk of accidents. Forklifts without proper maintenance can end up having difficulties with correct functioning, which leads to malfunctions. It can end up causing serious risk to your employees and often causes accidents in the warehouse.
How to Maintain Equipment
Ignoring a small cost now can end up costing your company thousands of dollars in repair costs in the future. Keeping your lines clean is the best way to keep the oil and hydraulic lines working adequately. Sediments in the fluid often cause forklifts to age quickly and it can cause premature failure of your system. Most forklifts can last upwards of 10 years if they are correctly maintained.
Another area of the forklift that must be maintained is the tires. If tires are worn or damaged, they increase the amount of fuel consumed by a forklift. It can lead to flat tires, which can cause a forklift to tip over when carrying a large load. Wheels need proper greasing to prevent parts from breaking. Proper lubrication of parts will reduce friction and wear on the forklift. When everything is working correctly, the forklift will be smoother and will reduce the amount of fuel consumed. If a part breaks, replace it quickly as it will cost your company money.
When a forklift is out of operation, it slows production and increases the workload on other forklifts. It is important to have the forklifts maintained in the right way to keep it from breaking down and costing your company much-needed operation time.
Stay In Line With OSHA Requirements
OSHA has certain requirements when it comes to safety. Failure to comply with the OSHA requirements can cost companies money as they end up spending thousands of dollars in fines that they have violated with the OSHA requirements. Work with a qualified maintenance company to keep your forklifts functioning correctly. Replacing parts in the right time will prevent major accidents from occurring, which will save your company money now and in the future.