Duct Tape Should Be Used to Repair Forklift Seats in the Short Term Only

Everybody knows that one guy.

He could be a father or uncle, or possibly a neighbor. But there’s always one guy who believes duct tape is the fix-all solution for practically any problem.

While duct tape is certainly miraculous and has been used to fix everything from broken car side mirrors to torn couch cushions to … well, air conditioning and heating ducts, it’s rarely a long-term solution. Especially when it comes to torn or ripped forklift seats.

Quick Fixes vs Long-Term Solutions

In a pinch, there’s probably nothing wrong with using duct tape to fix a torn or ripped forklift seat.

Duct tape’s strong adhesive and reinforced backing are strong enough to stand up to a lot of abuse. In fact, there’s almost certainly forklift seats out there that have duct tape repairs that have been in place for years.

There’s probably even some forklift seats that are more duct tape than original seat material.

But just because something works well in the short term doesn’t mean it should be considered the proper long-term solution.

Comfort and Safety

The problem is comfort. While duct tape is flexible and strong, it’s not terrifically comfortable to sit on … especially not for many hours per day in hot and humid weather.

Duct tape can ride up on the driver’s back end, causing a small irritation that can become a major discomfort as time goes on.

To a lesser extent, duct tape repairs are also a safety concern. Duct tape can be more slippery than the materials used to make most forklift seats.

The more of the surface area of a forklift seat is covered in duct tape, the more slippery it will be. Should the forklift accelerate quickly or come to a quick stop, the driver could slip out of the seat entirely.

A Better Solution

If you have a small rip or tear in your forklift seat and you want to prevent it from becoming bigger or keep the stuffing from falling out, a little piece of duct tape is probably fine.

But using duct tape as a short-term fix can quickly lead to a slippery slope situation. Forklift seats that are in need of repair should be repaired. Or if the problem is severe enough, they should be replaced entirely.

It’s easy to become that guy who fixes everything using duct tape. But when it comes to repairing forklift seats and other things around a professional business, it’s not generally a good idea.