6 Essential Tips To Improve Loading Dock Safety

Since before the first loading dock was installed dock safety has been a concern. As the equipment got better, faster and heavier so too has the danger of working on a loading dock. We have all heard that safety is everyone’s responsibility but after seeing what I have seen on the docks, I question that old adage. I have seen fully loaded forklifts going far faster than they should, I have seen dock equipment ready to collapse being used. I have even seen my boss nearly crushed by a forklift.
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So, who is really responsible to stop these mishaps and near misses? In the end, it is your reasonability to keep yourself safe first. You may say that it’s a self-centered act to think of yourself first but I contend that if everyone considered their personal safety first then everyone as a collective unit would be safer as a whole.

It may be difficult to eliminate all loading dock mishaps but it is possible to minimize the damage to both personnel and equipment.

• Slow down! Driving a forklift like it’s the last lap at Daytona could cause “the big one”
• Service/repair your docks, if your dock sags or shifts when you drive over it you have a problem
• Lock the trailer, chocks won’t keep a trailer from moving like a truck restraint will
• Watch your digits, your fingers are no match for two pieces of steel coming together, keep clear
• Keep the warehouse clean, debris can cause a trip point or force a forklift to change its line
• Watch your step, look out for uneven ground, trip points, forklifts etc.

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This is a very limited list and each facility has its own unique challenges, know your surroundings and keep yourself safe.

Rick Hopkins
Operations Manager, Dock & Door Tec