The loading dock is the hub of your company, with your bustling crew of personnel working intently and with one purpose: to load and unload the material that is the lifeblood of your facility. All signs of a healthy and thriving business. Your business.
However, in highly trafficked, dynamic environments like a loading docks, an accident can occur anytime or anywhere. But, sadly, loading dock safety protocol is often improperly implemented and maintained in many facilities.
Imagine a worker, intent on meeting quotas and deadlines, capably but single-mindedly focused on the task at hand, steps too closely to an unprotected, open loading dock…and then tragedy strikes.
Falls in industrial settings are the leading cause of employee accidents and fatalities, resulting in disrupted lives, decreased company morale, and billions of dollars lost annually due to otherwise preventable incidents.
But this doesn’t have to be the case! You can keep your facility safe and your workforce healthy by following a few simple, yet incredibly effective, loading dock safety tips.
Loading Dock Safety Tips
1.) Implement and Maintain a Safety Policy
Ensure all employees are aware of, well-trained in, and follow a safety plan. This plan should be straight forward and easy to implement, while also adhering to all OSHA regulations. Copies of your facility’s safety protocol should be posted in all common areas, as well as in higher-risk areas, such as within the warehouse itself.
2.) Ensure a Safe Workspace
A loading bay that is debris-free, well-lit, and where machinery and packages are securely stowed will go a long way toward ensuring your employees’ safety. Simple steps, like keeping the floor swept, installing proper lighting, and securing inventory and machinery are cost-effective means to establish and maintain a safer work area for your work crew.
3.) Be Aware of Industry Safety Codes
Tasked with ensuring safety in your facility is no easy job! Safety codes and regulations are numerous and ever-changing. And non-compliance can prove not only dangerous, but violation fines can be costly.
Per OSHA Code 1910.28(b)(1)(i) proper fall-risk prevention equipment MUST be present wherever a worker is stationed on a walking-working platform that is 4’ or more off the ground. Non-compliance can result in otherwise preventable injuries, as well as result in costly fines. By installing a proper safety gate you can avoid these unpleasant outcomes.
4.) Consider Loading Dock Safety Gates
Perhaps the most effective way to maintain workplace safety in and around a loading dock area is by installing quality, OSHA-compliant loading dock safety gates.
The typical loading dock is commonly placed a minimum of 48” off the ground. The average employee may not see such a slight drop as the major fall-risk it poses, making it easier still for an accident to occur. But exposed leading edges in these areas are dangerous, and failure to maintain proper loading dock gates are serious, yet often overlooked, OSHA violations.
The loading dock safety gate should meet or exceed all industry safety standards (OSHA, IBC, and ANSI), be crafted from quality and sturdy materials, be easily assembled on site, and be not only an effective but an easy to use piece of equipment. Ensuring that your loading dock safety gates meet all these criteria will be the most time, energy, and cost efficient means to reach your facility’s safety goals.
Your employees’ safety is in your hands. Workplace injuries and fatalities doubtlessly take a personal toll. But they will take a financial toll, as well, not just from costly OSHA penalties, but also from unscheduled downtime. A secure work environment can eliminate these risks and put a worker’s mind at ease, allowing them to complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. Devoting the time, resources, and manpower to achieve a safer workspace will repay you tenfold in the long run.
Proud manufacturers of the finest American-made safety gates on the market for over 45 years, Fabenco is here to help. Our safety gates meet or exceed all industry safety standards (OSHA, IBC, and ANSI), so you can rest assured that you are providing your employees with the security they deserve while enabling your facility to maintain the safety compliance regulations it requires.
At Fabenco, we know that a healthy business begins with a healthy workforce.
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