If you’re here, we know that your forklift is an essential part of your business and an expensive investment. With that in mind, it’s important to protect your investment with regular preventive forklift maintenance. Parts and mechanisms on your forklift will wear out over time due to constant use, so it’s essential to identify potential issues before becoming bigger issues.
3 Ways Forklift Maintenance Can Benefit Your Business
A forklift maintenance plan will ensure your pieces of equipment are operating at peak performance. If a component is wearing out and in danger of failing, you can replace it. Here are some reasons forklifts require planned maintenance to ensure a smooth-running business.
1. Keep Your Workers Safe From Injuries
Since the construction industry involves many hazards, you want your workers to have the safest work environment possible. Unfortunately, faulty forklifts can cause severe injury or even death. In 2020, forklift accidents resulted in 78 work-related deaths. Another 7,290 people survived their injuries but took time off work to recover. Checking a loading vehicle through planned forklift maintenance can prevent a tragic outcome on the job.
2. Avoid Accident Costs
On average, forklift accidents rack up expenses of $135,000,000 for businesses per year. Along with repair expenses for equipment and payouts for injured workers, companies may have to pay fines for violating OSHA forklift regulations. Breaking OSHA rules may result in $7,000 in fines, but sometimes companies pay out as much as $70,000.
Knowing what OSHA requires of your company can help you avoid government fines. Of course, another cost-saving step is a good safety plan for your business, including employee training and facility modifications. Still, planned forklift maintenance might be the best way to stop loader mishaps at the earliest possible stage.
3. Reduce Your Operating Expenses
The cost of your equipment adds up to two different kinds of expenses. The first type encompasses how much you pay when buying the equipment. Once you start using your machinery, you incur operating costs. These expenses can add up over time and include the following:
- Labor
- Maintenance
- Overhead
- Fuel
- Costs of replacing equipment parts
Planned forklift maintenance help to catch problems early, helping to reduce repair costs. A well-maintained forklift can also be an asset if you want to sell it. Buyers are more likely to pay a good price for a machine with few or no breakdowns.
Forklift Maintence Not Cutting it Anymore?
It Might be Time For an Upgrade
If you’re constantly repairing and performing maintenance on your current forklift, it might be time to buy a new piece of equipment. You and your employees have enough responsibilities other than constantly trying to keep your forklift in operation. So if it’s time to upgrade, we are here to help. We will send you multiple quotes for the exact equipment you’re looking for so you can compare makes, models, run time, and of course, prices to be sure you’re getting the best deal available. Click the button below to fill out a quick form; it will take less than a minute to get started.
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