The typical loading dock is a dangerous place,
with people and heavy machinery moving
about in tight quarters. Here are some things
you can do to keep accidents at bay.
Accidents on the loading dock may not hap- pen every day, but when they do occur, the results can be catastrophic. Just imagine a
10,000- to 15,000-pound lift truck falling off a
four-foot high ledge with an operator sitting or
standing on it. It’s not a pretty picture.
In such an event, the operator is unlikely to walk
away with just cuts and bruises. “In many cases,
you’re lucky to see these employees ever come
back to work, and if they do, often it’s in a diminished capacity,” says Walt Swietlik, customer relations manager at dock equipment manufacturer
Rite-Hite.
Keeping employees safe isn’t always easy. The
typical dock is a hive of activity, with a lot of heavy
machinery and people passing in tight quarters
while trying to meet tight schedules. Nonetheless,
What you
NEED to
KNOW
about
DOCK
SAFETY
there are steps DC managers can take to reduce the
likelihood of accidents in their own operations.
Here’s a look at some measures that can help.
NOT READY FOR TAKEOFF
When it comes to the loading dock, one of the
biggest hazards is unexpected trailer movement,
which can occur when a truck driver pulls away
from the dock without warning. In this instance,
prevention is largely a matter of ensuring good
communication. “At a minimum, there should be
some way for the dock attendant to communicate
with the truck driver and vice versa,” Swietlik says.
A common solution is to install a traffic light-style system both inside and outside the building.
When they see a green light, dock attendants inside
the facility know it’s safe to load or unload; like-
