Dock safety

Waterman, L., Directors in the dock . Safety and Health Practitioner, October 2001... 

Dock safety. Docks are busy by nature and also hazardous. Many injuries occur when lift trucks go off a dock, when product falls on an enq)loyee or visitor, or when someone is struck by a piece of equipment. Fires are not uncommon at a dock. Chemical spills also occur for which extensive cleanup plans are... 

The potential for serious injury is evident when looking at the OSHA data regarding dock safety. Trailers being pulled away from the dock or creeping are responsible for many injuries and fatalities each year. Close calls and serious incidents provide other high-risk exposures. 

Safety stops are another feature of dock levelers, to keep the ramp from free-falling in case a trailer separates unexpectedly from the dock. Lift trucks crossing an unsupported platform can fall to the bottom of the leveler and possibly off the dock. Safety stops limit the free fall of the platform. 

Truck drivers should be alerted to dock safety rules both inside and outside of the facility. They should not have free access to the dock area, for their own personal safety. Truck drivers will most likely not be familiar with forklift traffic patterns at the dock. This unfamiliarity creates the potential for injury. 

An extensive dock safety checklist is included at the end of this chapter, courtesy of Rite-Hite Corporation. See Figure 9-11.)... 

Rite-Hite Corporation. Dock Safety Guide. Milwaukee, WI. 1989. 

For more information on loading dock safety, write for a complimentary copy of Rite-Hite s Dock Safety Guide. 

This loading dock safety checklist is provided as a service by Rile-Flite Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis. It is intended as an aid to safefy evaluation of loading dock equipment and operations. However, it is not intended as a complete guide to loading dock hazard identification. Therefore Rite-Hite Corporation makes no guarantees as to nor assumes any liability for the sufficiency or completeness of this document. It may be necessary under particular circumstances to evaluate other dock equipment and procedures in addition to those included in the checklist. For information on U.S. loading dock safety requireiucnts. consult OSHA Safety and Health Standards (29 CFR 1910). In other countries consult the applicable national or provincial occupational health and safety codes. 

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