On The Safe Side: Loading Dock Safety Equipment

Safety equipment is prophylactic. This word comes from the Greek and means 'an advance guard', so safety equipment is there to prevent something untoward happening. In a loading dock, there are any number of potentially untoward happenings which, should they occur, could have far-reaching consequences. Given that a loading dock is, by definition, host to very large, very heavy moving objects, a recipe for disaster exists.

The loading dock's personnel represents the weakest link in this particular chain. Though not necessarily large or very heavy, people move too so ensuring they can get about in safety is paramount. One structure that can help here is expanded metal deck mesh. The loading dock's deck has to be strong enough to cope with the weight it must accommodate but it also has to be non-slip, which is where an expanded metal surface comes into its own. The deck's being well above floor level means that access to its working surface must be reliably strong and safe. Among the various kinds of safety equipment, access steps figure prominently. Such items must obviously be secure and capable of bearing the relevant loads. However, the requirement also includes the provision of handrails, as well as railings that protect the edges of the deck. Safety chain is a worthwhile addition, to close off those areas that are left open when the loading dock isn't occupied by a truck or van.

Having ensured that the loading dock personnel can't take steps into the unknown, it makes sense to cater for the vehicles that facilitate loading and unloading. Forklift trucks are heavy, can carry far more than any individual person and can move faster. While the abovementioned expanded metal deck mesh can take the weight of a moving laden forklift, it is flat. How then do you stop a forklift from slipping off the edge of a loading dock's deck, or from being driven over it by mistake? Simple, fit fork truck raves. These substantial steel structures delineate the edges of the loading dock at a low level, keeping forklifts on the straight and narrow.

Now for the heaviest and most potentially damaging of the loading dock's occupants. The road vehicles that carry goods come in a range of sizes but all are heavy, and obviously mobile. Protection bumpers and head rail raves can prevent vans and trucks from going beyond where they are welcome. This, however, is not just a matter of loading dock etiquette. More than one loading dock worker has been injured through being caught between a moving truck and a loading dock.

Where a trailer, brought by a lorry cab unit, no longer has the support of the cab unit in a loading dock, it is essential that its leading end be secured. This is a task for a stabilizer trailer jack, a strong, wheeled support that takes over the cab unit's job when the trailer is at rest.

Loading dock safety is a wide subject. However, these items of safety equipment are a few of the things that, by being present, can prevent accidents. Making sure they are there, and using them without exception, will enhance the safety record of any loading dock.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of loading dock equipment. See our website at Chase Equipment for more information.

Self-preservation: Staying Safe in a Loading Dock

A loading dock is an environment in which severe or possibly fatal accidents could happen. The presence of heavy vehicles, forklifts and the loads they carry, and workers on foot in an area that is by definition busy could be a recipe for disaster. Need a working loading dock be the scene of an accident waiting to happen? Not if some simple rules, some involving essential equipment, are applied…

Let's begin with the truck. Getting it into place is the first requirement and for this, a banksman, a ‘reversing assistant', is needed. Of course, a reversing camera could handle the job but method notwithstanding, ensure that nobody goes between the truck's tail and the loading dock's seal, for obvious reasons.

Once the trailer is in place, it makes sense for it to stay put. Should the trailer remain hitched to a lorry cab unit, the worst that can happen is that the driver pulls away prematurely. Good communication will prevent this happening. However, if the trailer is freestanding, you need to keep it under control. Wheel chocks are a solution and it makes sense to use a stable trailer jack – the trailer's own nose gear may not be reliable. Then, take a look at the trailer's deck; rotten floorboards aren't unknown.

With the trailer standing ready, the dock levellers warrant attention. Can they support the weights to be handled? Are they at the right height? Are they secure? You need to know. Bear in mind with all the abovementioned factors that laden or unladen forklifts impose considerable loads and not just in terms of weight. Acceleration and braking forces can easily cause an insecure trailer to move unexpectedly. The speed of the forklift(s) involved and the trailer's suspension are factors in this equation and trailer creep also affects dock levellers.

Now for the forklifts themselves. The use of safety barriers to protect unguarded drops is obvious, as is the use of raves. Less obvious is the need for forklift drivers to see what they're doing. Poor lighting aboard the trailer and around the loading area represents false economy…think ‘dangerous' if you can't see how this will slow the work. Moreover, where larger loads are involved, clear lines of sight are crucial. Use mirrors if necessary and rely on human assistance where applicable.

Just as on the roads, good traffic management applies to loading and unloading. A congested staging area is necessarily inefficient at best. At worst it's dangerous so it's wise to have a traffic system. Traffic cones, signs and marking tape denoting inbound, outbound and no-go areas will pay dividends very quickly. Similarly, ensuring that all personnel, pedestrians included, know what the markings mean could save more than just time. Once again as in traffic, congestion is a major potential problem. A system of storing empty pallets and containers away from the loading area, at a sensible stack height, contributes both to safety and speed of operation.

There are safety factors specifically for the workers on foot, the pedestrians. The traffic system mentioned makes a good starting point but pedestrians also need guard rails and proper, secure ladders for safe movement. They also need a clean working environment, so make sure that debris is cleared frequently.

These are by no means all the rules but there's one simple, overarching practice that must be followed…for safety's sake. This is, in a word, application. All the safety equipment and training in the world are worthless if they aren't present and used correctly.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of loading bay equipment. See our website at Chase Equipment for more information.

Hot Topic: Identifying Dock Seal Fire Risks

Ten years ago, loading dock seal fires in the USA suddenly became big news. The number of fires reported peaked suddenly in 1999, to the bafflement of those concerned. Even the firefighters were mystified until investigations revealed the cause. As a consequence, something could be done about the problem.

As we probably all believe, loading dock seals are just there. They keep goods dry, keep the heat in the buildings they serve and, given regular safety inspections, aren't likely to be too much trouble. So why did they start going up in flames in considerable numbers? The answer's simple – when you know it. It turns out that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were to blame. They required vehicles of a given size to have three rear identification lamps and two rear clearance lamps near the upper edge of their trailer. Drivers were loading or unloading with these lights on. The fitting of bigger alternators to the vehicles, to run an on-board TV, a VCR, a microwave oven, a satellite dish and/or GPS was making matters worse by over-driving the lights, making them prone to overheating. In any event, it was discovered that in as little as 20 minutes, a temperature high enough to cause foam-filled loading dock seal pads to ignite could be reached.

This begs a question: what has this to do with loading dock seals in the UK? Well, in the USA, it's estimated that there are over 100,000 loading docks with compression-style
foam dock seals with unprotected head pads. So what? Any loading dock seal material may be fire-retardant but it has a service life and its fire-retarding abilities can degrade with time. Moreover, the material isn't necessarily fire-resistant and in the UK, lorries have lights. The bottom line is that if you see scorch marks, let alone holes burnt into the material, a danger exists. Such marks suggest hidden damage that must be addressed.

Does this cautionary tale say it all for the fire risks associated with loading dock seals? In a word, no. Like any safety issue, fire safety needs attention. Unlike some safety issues, it isn't something that can be – let's say, put on the back burner...pun intended.

While many of the safety aspects of fire risks in relation to loading dock seals involve commonsense, there are elements that demand special caution. You may be proud of your company's fire safety arrangements, citing installations including smoke and fire detection alarms and an automatic sprinkler system. These are all well and good but their effectiveness – and therefore their value – is very much dependent on what materials you handle.

In 2006, a lorry load of cream cheese caught fire, closing the eastbound carriageway of the A55 at Colwyn Bay. This was down to a burst tyre causing a lorry fire but bring it closer to home and it's no fun. Should you be handling flammable materials, you need to safeguard against their ignition. How? There are cargo-handling techniques, such as limiting the amount of inflammable material held at any one spot at a given time. There are gas detectors, should you be handling this material. There is also a very important rule concerning the point where a loading dock seal will be fitted. This is quite simple: never consider a loading dock as an emergency fire exit. On more than one occasion, personnel have attempted to escape., become wedged between the dock and a lorry – and died.

It's a sobering but unarguable fact that commonsense isn't always enough...and there's no shame in seeking help. From whom? The fire brigade. A Fire Safety Officer will hold the rank of Watch Commander and may rank higher still. Above all, he or she will be trained to spot the risks for you. 'Better safe than sorry' is an old adage but it applies as much as it ever did. Should you be in any doubt, think about this. Suppose there was a fire in your loading dock? Enough said.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of loading bay equipment. See our website at Chase Equipment for more information.