A dock is a place where you can store and receive materials. It also serves as an entrance for employees, customers, suppliers and others. With this in mind, it’s crucial to ensure safety on the loading dock to prevent accidents. Here are five preventive tips that will help make your loading deck safe:
Make sure your dock levellers are in good working order.
- Make sure your dock levellers are in good working order.
Dock levellers are designed to help you move materials, but they tend to act up and not work as they should. Before you start loading, make sure that all of the components of your dock leveller are functional, including:
- The tracks that hold it up
- The motor and controls (if it has a motorized system)
Provide regular training for forklift operators.
Forklift operators are at the centre of many accidents on loading docks, but this doesn’t have to be the case. A well-trained operator understands how to drive safely and correctly use the forklift equipment. This means training them in:
- How to load and unload safely
- How to drive safely around other people and objects
- Properly using their forklift
Look into the use of dock shelters and dock seals.
A dock shelter is a structure that protects workers, goods and vehicles in the loading dock. It also prevents unauthorized access to areas that are not intended for public use. For example, dock seals help prevent dust and other airborne pollutants from entering your facility and keep water out if you have an outdoor loading dock.
Dock seals are usually made of rubber with a metal frame, though they can be made from PVC or other materials if desired. They’re typically placed at entrances to loading docks and storage facilities. And are designed so that doors slide into them when they close, creating a tight seal that keeps out dust, water and other contaminants while allowing air circulation inside the building.
Install safety signs and warning lights.
Safety signs are a great way to warn people of danger. They need to be visible and understandable, though. You want them in the right places so that anyone who comes onto your property knows what they’re walking into, especially if they’re unfamiliar with your work. Make sure they’re installed correctly—and properly maintained too!
Safety precautions like these aren’t worth much if they aren’t taken care of correctly over time; make sure any signage or lights you install are checked regularly for damage or wear-and-tear so that they can be replaced before anything terrible happens.
Have a maintenance schedule.
The first preventive tip is to have a maintenance schedule. If your dock levellers are in good working order, you can prevent accidents from happening by not having an uneven surface for forklifts to navigate over.
Also, regular training sessions will help ensure that your workers have the necessary skills and knowledge to operate their equipment safely. In addition, installing safety signs and warning lights will reduce the risk of injury due to vehicle accidents on the loading docks.
The most important thing is to ensure your equipment is in good working order and that your employees are appropriately trained. It can be easy to overlook these simple things, but if you do, it could result in injury or worse. With the proper precautions, however, you can ensure loading dock safety for everyone involved.
