Finally, summer is upon us. The snow is gone, the days are warmer and your warehouse doors seem to stay open day and night to allow the breeze to pass through.
As temperatures outside heat up so do temperatures inside. Things can start to get downright hot in the warehouse. A deceivingly gentle breeze across a hot asphalt parking lot can actually raise the ambient temperature in your warehouse by several degrees. Couple this with a busy work environment and you could have a formula for heat exhaustion or heat stroke of employees. This can and has happened in warehouses across the United States. How can you keep your cool? One easy and cost-effective way is to invest in HVLS fans. These are designed to circulate large volumes of air at very low speeds. By keeping the air moving throughout your warehouse it keeps the ambient temperature down while allowing the doors to be open and the breeze in. They also help to keep humidity down and cut down on dependency on your HVAC system. But, this leads to another dilemma… Pests and Birds… You have your HVLS system moving air, the doors are open, everyone is in a little better mood, until… The bird and bugs make their way in. How much production is lost swatting bugs or chasing birds out of the warehouse? This could be a popular discussion topic on its own here in Minnesota. Do you have swarms of flying insects being “Drawn to the lights” just to die off and fall on your inventory? To prevent pests from getting in while allowing the doors to be open and the breeze to flow simply invest in affordable dock screen-style doors. No more swatting mosquitoes or chasing birds around. Just a nice, comfortable warehouse and productive employees. Don’t let summer go by without enjoying what it has to offer. Consult with professionals now who can help evaluate your situation and provide proper solutions. In everyday life, there is a risk in just about everything we do. Most of that risk is so insignificant that we don’t even give it a thought. In a warehouse and especially at a loading dock the risk increases drastically. OSHA makes the following statement on their website, “loading docks can be dangerous places for forklifts, falls from a loading dock in a forklift can be fatal.”
With a combination of personnel, heavy equipment, moving product and trucks in the docks, the risks are endless. So, how do you assess risk and what do you do with that assessment? Webster Defines Risk as: risk noun \’risk\ : the possibility that something bad or unpleasant (such as injury or loss) will happen : someone or something that may cause something bad or unpleasant to happen : a person or thing that someone judges to be a good or bad choice for insurance, a loan, etc. It’s clear that working on a loading dock can be risky. Lots of heavy moving parts combined with foot traffic and moving trucks. Maybe the bigger questions are:
It is critical to understand the risk in your warehouse and how to mitigate that risk as much as possible. Part of risk mitigation is understanding the costs of death or injury versus the cost of equipment meant to limit the risk. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that the cost and maintenance of a truck restraint or a properly maintained dock leveler are far less costly than a serious injury or death. Have no doubt, mitigating or eliminating risk is attainable, it takes a commitment from management and staff. It takes a clear understanding of the risk and the expenses of doing everything or doing nothing. If you would like more information on risk management or mitigation please contact any of us at Dock & Door Tec. We will be happy to take a look at your facility, listen to you and provide you with a plan to help mitigate your risk. Continued from Red Flags When Replacing a Dock Leveler: Parts 1-3…
#4 — The ripple effects. Gain a full understanding of your downtime. This will be magnified if you’re doing any additional repairs or work on the loading dock area. Many companies utilize various subcontractors which are very specialized and only work on individual pieces of loading dock equipment. This could potentially drag out your downtime creating other issues for you. #5 — Dock bumpers and the mounting surface. This is actually the most critical part of the dock as it protects the dock leveler and the building. The bumpers also properly position the truck to allow it to be secured by truck restraints (dock locks), assuming you’re utilizing them. Older buildings may have cracked or damaged concrete possibly due to improperly installed bumpers. Be sure this is looked at. It is more cost-effective to repair during the leveler replacement process. Be careful changing bumper projection or size, this can affect the effectiveness of dock seals or truck restraints (dock locks). #6 — If upgrading to an air or hydraulic leveler that will require electrical work be sure you have a full understanding of the cost. Plus how the electrical panel and wiring will physically fit. This will help avoid surprises and hidden costs once the installation begins. These six red flags are a few of the things that need to be identified prior to starting a project to replace a dock leveler. If you need additional information or are contemplating the best approach feel free to contact us at any time. Jay Anderson President/Owner – Dock & Door Tec. Often we visit potential clients who are interested in replacing dock levelers. The potential client has already met with other suppliers who may or may not have provided information and a proposal. Today we speak to one client, in particular, the client was now looking for additional quotes. Unfortunately, the information they received was not correct, which makes the pricing irrelevant. We hope to provide you information of value based on this particular meeting identifying key items to be aware of when planning to replace a dock leveler.
Over the past 22 years that I’ve been in the loading dock and door industry I have worked as an installer/technician, account rep, operations manager and for the past 8 years a business owner. Not surprisingly these are some of the things I have come across repeatedly. When considering a replacement leveler be sure you have a full understanding of these red flags. #1 — Rear Curb Angle. This critical piece of steel should be embedded into the concrete when the dock pit was initially constructed. There is no maybe with this. It is pass or fail. If the person you’re meeting with to the review pricing and installation cannot tell you a definite yes or no in regards to a replacement, find a new company to partner with. Untrained and/or careless installers have been known to break rear curb angles loose when removing the old leveler, lookout for a “maybe” story on the front side. A high-quality company with high-quality installations will be able to tell if the rear curb angle is a pass or a fail. Other curb angles (side, front or vertical) may need repair or replacement as well. An educated and properly trained rep will be able to tell by looking, even with the old leveler still in the pit. #2 — Forklift capacity, weight, and usage. Not all dock levelers are created equal, neither are the manufacturers that build them. One manufacturer may recommend a 30,000-pound capacity leveler and another may recommend a 45,000-pound capacity leveler. Be sure to get the manufacturer usage and weight charts or data before making a decision. If the company you’re working with cannot clearly explain how this works and supply clear cut manufacturer-provided information find a new company to partner with. #3 — Is everything else OK? What issues are you having with the existing equipment? What works? What doesn’t? These questions need to be reviewed. Changing something as simple as the dock bumpers can create issues. Read on! … View Parts 4-6 in next week’s post These first three of six red flags are a few of the things that need to be identified prior to starting a project to replace a dock leveler. If you need additional information or are contemplating the best approach feel free to contact us at any time. Thank you for reading! Jay Anderson President/Owner – Dock & Door Tec. 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.
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.
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 |
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