forklift safety Archives

When forklift arm damage occurs, it doesn’t just stop your material handling operations; it impacts productivity, frustrates teams, and can create serious forklift safety hazards.

Heading into the demanding summer months, businesses need to take a proactive approach through dedicated forklift maintenance. Implementing targeted routines to safeguard these vital components is far better than reacting to problems.

In this post, we’ll outline actionable summer maintenance tips designed to help you identify potential issues early, protect your forklift arms from damage, and keep your fleet operating efficiently all season long.

Summer Weather Affects Forklift Arm Functionality

While heat can sometimes be helpful, it can damage important parts, such as forklift arms for some large equipment vehicles. Not being able to properly use your equipment’s forklift arms can cause delays to your operation and major headaches that can easily be prevented.

Recently, we discussed how to prepare your forklift arms for any type of seasonal weather. This blog will focus on just the hotter months of the year, starting with understanding what heat can do to your parts.

What potential issues can you run into with heat? Here are a few broken down by type of Forklift.

Internal Combustion (IC) Engine Forklifts

Coolant—Summer heat increases engine stress. Ensure the coolant is topped up. Flush and replace old or deteriorated coolant to prevent overheating.
Radiator—Check for damage, leaks, and debris (like leaves) restricting airflow, which can reduce coolant flow. If clogged or damaged, clean, backflush, or replace it.
Hoses & Belts—Summer heat can dry and crack these rubber parts. Inspect carefully before each shift and replace them promptly if damage is found.
Oil & Air Filters—Hot weather degrades oil faster, and dusty summer conditions clog filters. To protect the engine, change both oil and air filters more frequently during summer.

Electric Forklifts

Batteries—High temperatures during the summer can cause forklift batteries to overheat and degrade more quickly. Regularly inspect and replenish battery water levels as needed.
Electrical Connections—Rubber electrical insulation deteriorates more rapidly in hot weather. Check all connections and replace wires and cables whose insulation has cracked or deteriorated.

All Forklifts

Hydraulic System—Extreme heat places extra stress on the hydraulic system, potentially speeding up wear on hoses, fittings, and seals. To maintain system integrity, perform regular checks for any heat-related damage or leaks.
Mechanical Systems—Summer heat reduces forklift lubricant effectiveness, increasing wear. Inspect and lubricate forks, masts, chains, steering, and wheels regularly, reapplying lubricant when needed.
Tires—Heat during the summer quickly degrades forklift tires. Check pneumatic tire pressure frequently to prevent potential overinflation, cracks, or blowouts. Maintain the recommended pressure for safe operation.

Train Employees to Detect Potential Issues Early

Regarding the integrity and safety of your forklift arms, the old adage “a stitch in time saves nine” couldn’t be more fitting, especially as the demands of summer operations pick up. Catching potential problems in their earliest stages is the most effective strategy to prevent them from escalating into major, costly repairs, significant operational downtime, or even serious forklift safety incidents.

What might seem like a minor surface crack, a slight bend, or an unusual noise today could indicate a more significant underlying issue that, if addressed promptly, can save your business considerable expense and ensure your team’s safety.

This proactive approach to early detection relies heavily on consistent vigilance and thorough routine checks. It means empowering your forklift operators to be the first line of defense, conducting diligent pre-shift inspections beyond a glance.

Training them to meticulously look for any visual signs of wear, stress fractures, or deformation on the forks, welds, and carriage, and listen for any new or unusual sounds during operation – like grinding, creaking, or popping – is paramount. These sensory cues are often the first signals that something requires closer attention before compromising the forklift’s arm integrity.

Efficiency and Functionality is Key to Keeping Your Operation Going

Summer maintenance for forklift arms is essential for maintaining efficiency and functionality, ensuring your operations keep running smoothly for several key reasons:

Preventing Unexpected Downtime

Summer can be a peak season for many businesses, meaning any unexpected equipment failure, like a damaged forklift arm, leads to immediate and often costly downtime. Regular summer maintenance helps identify and address minor issues (like small cracks, worn components, or lubrication problems) before they escalate into major breakdowns that halt operations. A forklift out of commission means delays in moving goods, missed deadlines, and frustrated staff.

Ensuring Peak Performance Under Stress

Higher ambient summer temperatures can stress all machinery components, including hydraulic systems and lubricants crucial for arm operation. Proper maintenance ensures adequate lubricants and that hydraulic fluids are at the correct levels and not overheating excessively. Components aren’t already weakened, allowing the forklift arms to perform optimally even when the heat is on.

Maintaining Lifting Capacity & Accuracy

Damage or wear to forklift arms (like bent forks, worn fork heels, or issues with the mast/carriage) can compromise the machine’s rated lifting capacity and the accuracy of load placement. This isn’t just inefficient; it’s dangerous. Summer maintenance checks ensure the arms are structurally sound and aligned, allowing for precise and safe handling, critical for operational speed, and reducing product damage.

Upholding Safety Standards

Damaged forklift arms are a significant safety hazard. A compromised arm could lead to dropped loads, potentially injuring operators or other personnel and damaging goods or facilities. Summer maintenance, focusing on inspection and repair, is critical to upholding safety protocols, contributing to a smoother, more confident, and, therefore, more efficient workforce.

Cost-Effectiveness in the Long Run

Addressing minor issues found during routine summer maintenance is almost always far cheaper than dealing with a catastrophic failure. Replacing a worn pin or re-lubricating a chain is minor compared to replacing an entire fork assembly or coping with the consequences of an accident. This preventative approach decreases long-term operational costs, contributing to overall business efficiency.

Adapting to Increased Operational Tempo

For many industries, summer might bring increased demand or specific seasonal projects. Ensuring forklift arms are in prime condition before this ramp-up means the equipment can reliably handle the increased workload without faltering, keeping the entire operational chain moving smoothly.

The Ichinen Guarantee

Forklift maintenance should be a year-round endeavor. This way, when extreme weather hits, you won’t be scrambling to ensure your operations don’t suffer due to equipment failure.
If you need new forklifts or have questions about which are best suited for your particular operation, contact ICHINEN USA for more information.

Any manufacturing, warehouse, or construction worker understands the importance of maintaining the equipment on their worksite, ensuring safety and productivity. Forklifts and their accessories are no different. It may be common practice to maintain and inspect the forklift itself, but did you know that forklift arms also need to be replaced? Forklifts are arguably the most versatile and necessary pieces of equipment on any worksite, and not only can the metal forks take on damage from day-to-day use, but sometimes accidents happen. Fork arms are the heavy lifters on the forklift, and ensuring they are in top condition will keep you and your industry moving forward.

Fork arms are ICHINEN USA’s specialty. We take great pride in manufacturing top-tier forklift arms and accessories, and in our time working with various industries, we’ve learned quite a bit about the implications of worn fork arms. Damaged or compromised fork arms can cause load instability, accidents, and fork breakage. Additionally, even slightly worn fork arms can reduce lifting capacity, cause difficulty handling loads, and increase the chances of dropped or damaged products.

Regular inspection and worker training are critical to ensuring your worksite is safe and avoiding common forklift safety violations. However, knowing when to identify that you need to replace your fork arms will protect you, your product, and your enterprise.

We put together this list of 5 signs that your forklift arms may need to be replaced. Let’s take a look.

#1: Visible Wear and Damage

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires all forklift operators to perform a daily pre-operation inspection before using the truck for the day. This inspection is the perfect opportunity for forklift operators to inspect the fork arms themselves for visible wear and damage.

Operators should look for these signs that the fork arms may need to be replaced:

Surface cracks or fractures
Significant bending or twisting
Visible metal fatigue (look for the distinct ‘clamshell’ appearance in the metal)
Heel wear (from contact with the ground or other surfaces) that exceed manufacturer specifications

#2: Decreased Load Capacity Performance

Another sign that your forklift arms may need replacing is if you are experiencing decreased load capacity. A forklift with a decreased load capacity may lift a load slowly or unevenly, have difficulty reaching full height, and exhibit a decrease in lifting power, noticeable to operators.

Safety Tip: This may not be noticed until the forklift is in operation, so remember to report any anomalies in performance and discrepancies immediately to the appropriate people within your organization.
Keep an eye out for these indicators that your fork arms may need replacement:

Difficulty handling rated loads
Uneven lifting
Signs of strain under normal operating conditions

#3: Thickness Reduction

As forklifts maneuver about a worksite, lifting or carrying their loads, fork arms drag along the ground, shelves, and the product they lift. This friction slowly wears down the metal, making it thinner and thinner over time. The industry standards for the minimum thickness of fork arms vary, and fork arm thickness is chosen based on the forklift’s load capacity and handling needs. Any fork arm wear over 10% of the total thickness indicates it is time to replace your fork arm.

Knowing how to measure your fork arm’s thickness is necessary to ensure your forklift operates at its peak. Three measurements are essential to record. Using a caliper, capture the following measurements:

Width: Measure the blade from side to side
Length: Measure from the shank to the tip
Thickness: Measure the blade from the thickest part, bottom to top

#4: Uneven Fork Arms

Fork arms are manufactured close to a 90-degree angle. However, wear-and-tear and minor worksite accidents can sometimes cause fork arms to be bent upwards or downwards, causing the two arms to be uneven. This imbalance can make lifting loads of any size dangerous and cause the forklift to become out of balance enough to tip. Replacing uneven fork arms in pairs is vital, preventing any further misalignment.

Keep an eye (and ear!) out for these clues that your fork arms are uneven:

Look for bulges or bents in the shake or blade
Check for cracks, especially near the heel
Measure the angle and replace fork arms with bends that exceed 93 degrees
Listen for strain in the fork stanchions

#5: Age and Usage Hours

Sometimes, the most significant indicator that your fork arms should be replaced is that they have been used for a long time. Every fork arm manufacturer recommends replacement intervals, so checking with your manufacturer for their best practices is key. However, if your enterprise has not replaced its fork arms in some time, consider replacing them as a preventative measure.

Forklift maintenance is a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual commitment. Tracking the use of your forklift and documenting its functionality is necessary to understand the lifespan of your equipment and will help prevent the extended costs of forklift failure. Check your operations records to verify that your machines are being regularly serviced and to ensure there have not recently been any minor accidents that could have damaged your fork arms.

These less common signs may be an indicator that your regularly maintained forklift arms may need replacing:

Damage to the positioning lock
Excessive fork hook wear or deformation
Fractures or unevenness in arm tips
Fork arm documentation is unavailable

Never Settle for Less than Exceptional

Knowing when to replace your forklift fork arms is key to keeping your lifting operations on the move, and preventative replacement can prevent unwanted accidents or downtime.

At ICHINEN USA, we are passionate about providing you with the highest quality, 100% heat-treated standard and premium forks and fork arm accessories. We work hard to help our customers stay safe in their day-to-day operations.

If you’d like to learn more about forklift arms or how we can help you determine the perfect fork arm and fork arm accessories for your lifting needs, contact us today!

Tag: forklift safety

Summer Maintenance Tips to Prevent Forklift Arm Damage