Warehouse Dock Safety

29 Nov Warehouse Dock Safety

Warehouses are busy places with lots of movement from vehicles, employees and products always moving in all directions.  One of the busiest and most unpredictable places in the warehouse is the loading dock.  It is one of the more dangerous areas of the warehouse because not everyone is aware of the delivery schedule with materials coming in or going out.  Because of this, extra caution must be taken to prevent accidents. Let’s look at some of the leading safety hazards at the loading dock.

• • • Slips and falls – Employees risk falling off the dock for various reasons. It could be from debris on the floor, carrying loads which are too heavy or can cause vision impairment or becoming unbalanced, oil or wet spots on the floor, forklifts moving too fast and trying to avoid collisions, loose dock plates, and a variety of other issues.   Keeping the loading dock clean and open can and having safety procedures in place is the simplest way to avoid safety hazard.
    • Truck trailers wheels not properly chocked – Drivers coming into the loading area that are not your employees may not always follow the safety procedures in your docking area. Always have a docking employee double check to make sure the truck is secure before loading or unloading begins.  If a truck creeps while there is movement in the trailer, it can cause loss of balance and even separation from the dock which can be a fall hazard for a person or a forklift.
    • Carbon monoxide exposure – Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating gas.  The use of lift trucks powered by internal combustion engines inside buildings and tractor trailers along with any enclosed spaces creates the potential buildup of CO. A few things to consider preventing CO buildup is to regularly test the air in areas of the workplace where CO emissions may be present, provide workers with personal CO alarms, and consider replacing fuel-powered industrial trucks with forklifts that are powered by electricity.
    • Injuries due to improper use of forklifts – accidents can be due to lift trucks being driven off vacant loading docks, open ramp edges, wet, oily or icy surfaces, congestion and traffic. Forklift drivers can also get in a routine of loading or unloading large quantities of product and become careless with their motions.

Training your employees on Warehouse dock safety procedures can prevent most accidents.  It is up to each person in the docking area to take precautions and stay aware of their surroundings.  Having a company safety policy in place can protect you and even reduce your insurance costs.

Gain the knowledge you need for Safety Compliance Training to keep yourself and others safe in the workplace.  Contact us to sign up today.