Spreader Bars Extend Flexibility and Safety For Forklifts

There are a number of attachments that are essential for the day-to-day routine of forklifts. One such attachment that should not be ignored is the spreader bar.

This item is essential for warehouses and distribution centers that need forklifts to carry larger, long and heavy items. The spreader bar features extra tines that add capability to a lift so it can carry piping, timber and plasterboard. The item offers a higher level of stability that a forklift with standard tines cannot offer. The extra support assures that larger and more cumbersome loads are handled safely. It prevents items from moving or slipping off tines as the lift is in motion.

Spreader bars expands the versatility of forklifts while it assures safety.
(Courtesy: Hyster Forklifts)

The items that a spreader bar assists a forklift to better handle could actually offer a threat for pedestrians. Without the bar, a standard forklift could become unstable and turnover and falling pipes, timber, or plasterboard can injure one employee or more. And that would be more than a catastrophe for a warehouse operation. As a result of the injuries warehouse executives are looking at workmen’s comp issues as well as lost personnel that would otherwise have been able to perform much needed tasks.

Two Styles Of Spreader Bars

Spreader bars are available in two styles –- fixed and temporary. The fixed bar is designed to permanently attach to a forklift. A temporary bar can be installed and removed.

Temporary spreader bars feature pockets that hold the standard tines of a lift. This bar allows one forklift to lift long and heavy items. Once removed, the same forklift can handle normal pallets.

Spreader Bars Offer Cost Savings And Versatility

A permanent or temporary spreader bar extends a forklift’s flexibility and value and it saves a warehouse or distribution center a lot of cash. There is no need to purchase forklifts, some of which have the bar and some of which don’t. Moreover, warehouse or distribution center managers don’t have to pay the cost of extended training or maintenance for a larger fleet.

(Source: aalhysterforklifts.com)