Driven to Safety: Loading Dock Safety Essentials

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,486 fatal work injuries in 2022. That marks the highest number of workplace deaths of any year since 2013. Despite the lower accident rates of previous years, 33,000 employees still missed an average of 14 days of work due to injuries suffered on loading docks between 2015 and 2020. An additional 49 workers died during loading dock accidents.

The unsettling truth is dangerous working conditions are on the rise in the US, and most of those accidents happen on loading docks. However, you can protect your team and organization by investing in and maintaining loading dock safety equipment. Read on to learn the various types of loading dock equipment and how each keeps your workforce safe.

Loading Dock Safety Equipment

Nearly a quarter of all warehouse accidents occur on the loading dock, making a dock without safety equipment an accident waiting to happen. Below are a few of the most common loading dock safety equipment categories and how they protect your facility and team.

Dock Door Seals and Shelters

Loading dock door seals and shelters close the gap between trailers and the dock door. They are often heralded as cost-saving measures because they help maintain the warehouse’s internal temperature and prevent contamination from vermin and debris. However, they also exclude wet weather, keeping floors dry. Dry floors help prevent slips and falls, one of the most common factors in loading dock accidents.

Dock Door Bumpers

Famously, trailer trucks have difficulty seeing what’s behind them. That includes your loading dock. Dock door bumpers provide a layer of impact protection that prevents damage to your loading dock equipment, your door, and the warehouse itself. These prevent unplanned downtime by protecting the equipment your staff relies on for safety.

Safety Barriers

Warehouses can get hot during a southern summer. Many try to beat the heat by keeping dock doors open. While this lets cooler air circulate, it also creates a falling hazard. Falls to a lower level, like these, are the third leading cause of workplace fatalities. Safety barriers help prevent this common accident source by visibly and physically blocking access to the open door without impeding airflow. These barriers come in several styles, including swing gate, lift gate, and curtain.

Loading Dock Restraints

OSHA requires trailer restraints when loading and unloading to prevent dangerous falls from trailer creep. Wheel chocks are a common choice to meet the minimum for this standard. However, the motion of a forklift driving in and out of a trailer can dislodge wheel chocks, creating a hazardous situation. Dock locks fix that problem by mechanically restraining the trailer to the loading dock. This style of loading dock restraint plays a vital role in protecting forklift drivers.

Loading Dock Traffic Lights

Another serious safety hazard is premature departure. This occurs when a truck leaves the dock while loading or unloading. The most common cause is imperfect communication between the loading dock team and the truck driver. Loading dock traffic lights prevent miscommunication by clearly signaling when it is safe to access the trailer and when the truck is free to depart. These simple additions to your warehouse are the best tool for eliminating premature departure.

Dock Levelers

Variations in warehouse design and trailer construction create inevitable gaps between the loading dock floor and the trailer bed. Dock levelers (also called pit levers), dock plates, and dockboards eliminate that gap, forming a smooth ramp for forklifts. This helps reduce the rocking motion that leads to trailer creep. However, dock levelers have maximum weight ratings, typically between 25,000 and 80,000 lbs. Consider these maximums and the expected frequency of use when selecting the best leveler for your facility.

Loading Dock Fire Doors

In the US, there are an average of 1,450 warehouse fires yearly. Fires are one of the worst accidents a warehouse can experience. Loading dock fire doors help to minimize the damage and prevent further injury caused by a spreading blaze. These fire-resistant doors close automatically in the event of a fire, restricting its path while still offering exit points for your workers.

Make Maintenance Mission Critical

An unprofessional or inadequate maintenance plan is a plan to fail. Poorly maintained loading dock safety equipment is, at best, a significant contributor to unplanned downtime. At worst, it could cost lives. All loading dock equipment requires regular inspections and maintenance as even relatively inert pieces like dock door bumpers are subject to damage from frequent use or careless operation.

In particular, dock levelers and fire doors require frequent inspection and planned maintenance. Your dock leveler's exposure to the elements makes it especially susceptible to corrosion and damage from debris. Both can result in an inoperable leveler, effectively shutting down that loading dock.

Fire Door Inspections

NFPA 80 requires annual fire door inspections by certified inspectors. This multi-stage process includes mandatory drop testing, ensuring the door closes at safe speeds. Doors that have not received regular maintenance routinely fail the inspection process, putting the door out of service until it is repaired. In some cases, the fire marshal may even pull the facility's occupation permit, shutting the operation down until the repairs are complete. The best way to avoid this is to have your door professionally maintained by a partner certified to perform fire door drop testing, such as Southern States Toyotalift.

Eliminate Safety Pain Points

Don't let safety equipment pain points make your facility another loading dock accident statistic. Let our solutions team eliminate those frustrations by walking your facility through every step of the process. Our team will conduct a comprehensive safety audit and recommend the cost-effective solutions you need to make your warehouse the safest in your industry. To learn more about loading dock safety or to get a quote for loading dock equipment, contact us online or visit one of our locations throughout Georgia and Florida.

Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
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Orlando
Tampa
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Georgia
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Further Reading
How To Extend the Life of Your Loading Dock Equipment
Top Tips for National Safety Month
How To Reduce Super Scary Forklift Risks