Loading Docks Safety
Make sure your employees practice loading docks safety
Whether you have multiple bays on your loading docks or you unload from portable loading docks, your employees should have thorough training in loading docks safety. While the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates safety training for forklift use, it does not mandate dock safety. Even so, anyone who sets foot anywhere near the loading docks should have the proper safety training.To make sure everyone is safe on your loading docks, there are a number of practices you can institute. Safety is everyone’s concern and you should make it your highest priority. You can make your loading docks safer by:
1. Setting up loading docks safety training sessions.
2. Posting signs with safety rules near the loading docks.
3. Reinforcing the rules with stiff penalties for infractions.
Familiarize yourself with loading docks safety issues
Read as much as you can to find out what common areas of concern are. That way you can better evaluate your loading docks to make sure they are safe for your workers.
Try: Inventory Operations Consulting has good basic information about the hazards associated with industrial loading docks. The State Compensation Insurance Fund offers specific points of dock safety you should teach employees. According to this organization, in addition to forklift safety, you should include safety training in dock lifts, loading dock ramps and dock levelers.
Evaluate the safety of your loading docks
Set up an evaluation procedure to determine what areas are the most lacking in safety. Conduct interviews with dockworkers to find out their concerns. Once you know the areas of weakness, you can address the problems and make the loading docks safer work environments.
Try: Use the questionnaire from the Utah Workers Compensation Fund to see if your dock loading procedures meet safety standards. For a more elaborate evaluation tool for loading docks safety, see the white paper from Elsevier B.V.
Set up training sessions for loading docks safety
Everyone on your staff should have basic loading docks safety knowledge. Use your evaluations to customize training to your situation. You can hire experts to come in to present information to your employees or you can use customizable videos. You can also send one of your reliable employees for train-the-trainer classes. Then they can teach loading docks safety to the rest of your staff.
Try: Start with the list of industrial loading dock safety checkpoints from Materials Handling Equipment. You can fill out a request form to get more information about specific training programs the company offers. Use the training videos from J.J. Keller & Associates to teach safety around your loading docks. Videos are also available for drivers who must use dock plates and other accessories in a variety of settings.
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