Interlocking dock equipment is becoming more common than ever. Interlocking the equipment improves safety at the loading dock area and also reduces potential for loading dock area equipment damage. First let’s identify some of the equipment that is commonly interlocked…usually equipment such as hydraulic dock levelers, vehicle restraints, overhead doors and inflatable dock seals. For example if the hydraulic dock leveler is interlocked to the overhead door, the door must be open before the dock leveler will operate. This prevents the powered dock leveler from raising and damaging the door if the door is not open. Another example is a hydraulic dock leveler interlocked to a vehicle restraint safety system. First the vehicle restraints is activated and if it engages the trucks rear impact guard then, and only then, will the hydraulic dock leveler operate. The interlock ensures that the truck is safely secured before loading begins. The majority of interlocked equipment has an “override” selector to permit independent operation when a supervisor decides that it is a controlled condition. Many manufacturers offer a master control panel with many or all of the controls in one central location. Contact your Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
Feb 24, 2016