When your facility is operating at peak levels, your loading docks are busy places, with trucks backing in all day long so they can be loaded and unloaded. Loading dock safety is a huge concern for workers in and around the area who are standing, walking, or operating machinery. Because of this high concentration of personnel and activity, extra care must be taken to ensure that you’re providing workers with adequate loading dock fall protection. For owners and operators of food and beverage manufacturing facilities, loading docks present unique safety challenges that need to be addressed.
Loading Dock Fall Protection Basics
Per OSHA 1910.28, employers must provide fall protection for workers on a surface that’s 4’ above the level before. Unprotected edges of most loading docks meet this criterion. And you can’t just get away with painting a high-contrast yellow strip around the perimeter, you need a loading dock safety system to keep employees safe and stay OSHA-compliant.
Industrial Gates for Loading Docks
The most any facility’s loading dock is around the open door during the loading and unloading of a truck. And the most reliable, and OSHA-compliant, form of fall protection to keep employees safe during these operations is a loading dock safety gate. These loading dock gates are designed to accommodate the wide openings typical of a loading dock door and can be opened and closed easily by a worker in the course of their duties. An indoor safety gate of this manner should be able to withstand up to 200 lbs. of force and meet or excess the ANSI and OSHA standards.
OSHA-Compliant Guardrails
The inside of a loading dock in many facilities usually features an elevated platform that leads to the bay doors, meaning workers are often exposed to leading edges that can be a serious fall hazard. In these cases, the most common and trusted form of fall protection utilized is a guardrail system around these edges. To comply with OSHA requirements, be sure your guardrails are:
- 42″ tall (plus or minus 3″) measured from the walking surface.
- Capable of withstanding 200 lbs. of downward pressure without failure on the top rail.
- Able to handle 150 lbs. of downward or outward pressure without failure on midrails.
- Constructed of strong, durable materials that are smooth and free of snags.
Personal Fall Protection
When guardrails aren’t feasible, or the risk of falls increases due to conditions on the loading dock or other issues, personal fall protection devices might be necessary. If you cannot install a safety rail and indoor safety gate, active fall protection equipment must be incorporated including:
- Harness
- Lanyard
- Lifelines
- Anchor Points
- Connectors
Loading Dock Lighting
The brighter your loading dock is, the safer it is for workers. Make sure that you have adequate lighting both inside and outside the loading dock. Dark spots are prime locations for a slip and fall accident. In addition to task lighting, a lighting system attached to an alarm may be installed to warn employees of potential dangers while they’re working on the loading dock.
Special Loading Dock Safety Issues for Food and Beverage Facilities
Food and beverage storage and manufacturing facilities face many unique challenges. Nowhere is that more evident than on the loading dock. As packaged products are requested, forklift operators and other warehouse employees pick the order and prep it for shipping. The prepared food and beverage items are then loaded into waiting trailers to be transported. Some of the difficulties with this process include:
- Heavy foot traffic makes navigating pallet loads onto a trailer hazardous.
- Forklift drivers don’t always have adequate visibility to avoid hazards.
- Temperature and humidity inside the facility can cause loading docks to be slick.
- Spills and other accidents make the loading docks slippery and dangerous.
- Dust, debris, and other foreign materials add to the potential for slips and falls.
Prioritize Safety Training for Food and Beverage Facility Loading Dock Workers
Whether you install an indoor safety gate specifically designed to protect your loading docks or you opt for personal fall protection systems, safety training is essential. Workers need to understand from day one what your fall protection protocols are and how to stay safe on the job. Repeat training sessions to freshen worker’s safety knowledge are necessary in order to reinforce loading dock safety procedures.
Slow Down to Improve the Safety of your Loading Docks
In addition to the physical dangers that are present on food and beverage facility loading docks, other factors also affect safety. For example, many food products and beverages need to be maintained at a specific temperature in order to remain safe and usable. Loading dock employees may try to speed up the process to keep product safe, but this actually decreases loading dock safety and puts people at risk. Encourage employees to work quickly, but safely.
Does Your Facility Have Adequate Loading Dock Fall Protection?
Because loading docks are such busy, potentially dangerous places in your food and beverage manufacturing or distribution facility, you need to pay special attention to them. Take the time to inspect your loading docks and the surrounding areas with a qualified safety expert by your side. Make note of areas where fall protection is lacking, as well as any risky behaviors by employees. This is your starting point for determining how to approach improving your loading dock fall protection.
Where Can I Find OSHA-Compliant Loading Dock Fall Protection?
If you need to have a guardrail system and industrial gates for your loading dock areas, you want to be sure they meet OSHA guidelines. And if you’re still unsure of the best fall protection for your loading docks, directly consult experts to help make these important decisions. Otherwise, you may end up facing stiff penalties and fines for not meeting OSHA fall protection standards. Plus, a dangerous workplace brings morale down and affects productivity.
Don’t leave anything to chance, rely on an industry expert for your loading dock fall protection needs. Keep your employees safe, avoid costly OSHA fines, and improve the conditions in your food and beverage facility with OSHA-compliant guardrails and industrial gates. Connect with the fall protection safety specialists at Fabenco to learn more about safety gates and railing systems and how to protect your loading docks.
