Duct Tape Can Work in the Short Term, But …

Duct tape is one of the essential, go-to tools for any kind of repairs, whether it’s at home or at work. It’s convenient, inexpensive, and most importantly it works like magic.

As the name implies, duct tape originally was designed for sealing heating and air conditioning ducts. It is a thick, reinforced tape with a strong adhesive, allowing for airtight seals to be made at duct joints and turns.

But duct tape has taken on a life of its own outside of the HVAC industry and today is used for every type of repair, from car engines to window cracks and much, much more.

Forklift Seat Repairs

In dock and warehouse environments, duct tape can frequently be found on forklift seats. It is ideal for fixing the inevitable small rips and tears that come with drivers jumping on and off their vehicles over multiple shifts.

Duct tape comes in a variety of colors, including black, so with minor repairs of black forklift seats, you can barely see that it’s being used to hold rips and tears together.

Not a Long Term Solution

The problem with duct tape is that it’s a little too convenient. One minor repair can turn into a couple different fix-it jobs and before you know it a forklift can be covered with duct tape. In some cases, an old, used forklift seat could be more duct tape than the original seat!

That’s not an ideal situation for a number of reasons. First, duct take tends to be more slippery than the vinyl or leather used on actual forklift seats. So if the seat surface is held together with a lot of duct tape, there’s more of a risk of the driver slipping off the seat during a sudden start or stop.

Another problem is how it looks. While you may not mind having forklift seat covered with duct tape “bandages”, is that the kind of professional appearance you want for your business?

Plus, your employees may not complain to your face about how cheap you are when you make duct tape repairs, but you can be sure they are talking about it amongst themselves and perhaps with others outside of your business.

Replacement Forklift Seats

While duct tape may be appropriate for small, short term repairs if your forklift seat is in bad shape it should be replaced altogether.

Duct tape is a miracle tool. But relying on it too much can put your workers and your business at risk.