Safety and productivity are major considerations when you select any type of production equipment for your warehouse. Dock levelers are no exception. The loading dock area is probably one of the most hazardous parts of your operation given the severity of injuries that could occur here, as well as the volume of activities that take place in the loading and unloading area. Ramps and inclines, vehicular traffic, sheer drops, wet, slippery, and dissimilar surfaces, or poor lighting in trailers are all hazards which can be present at your loading dock.
The role of a dock leveler in loading dock safety is essential. It is also an important element of your operations when it comes to complying with warehouse rules and regulations. Warehouses are highly demanding work environments and the transition in height from dock to trailer is one of the most risky environments for workers.
As an employer, you must make sure that your workers benefit from a safe and healthy workplace. The transition in height from dock to trailer can be a difficult operation and also a very dangerous one without the help of innovative dock levelers. A properly designed and installed dock leveling system will help you avoid the following issues associated with dock leveler operation:
- The angle of the dock onto a trailer with air ride is often too steep, which may cause the truck operator to lose control;
- Speeding over an uneven dock plate will cause the truck operator to receive repeated shocks to the spine, which is a major health and safety concern;
- Portable dock plates may collapse if unsecured and have to be lifted, which is why a hydraulic dock leveler is a better solution to help you comply with warehouse rules and regulations;
- Sometimes, the leveler lifts up on one side because of an unbalanced load or a poor shock on the trailer, which can cause the operator to be thrown off the lifting equipment as well as expose a major pinch point.
Dock levelers are sophisticated equipment that facilitates safe loading and unloading. Rated by weight capacity and by the service range, they incorporate a variety of safety mechanisms that will allow for full functionality as the trailer height changes. Automatic dock levelers also encompass signaling devices that inform truck operators when it is safe to enter the trailer. The same signaling devices will warn the truck driver that it is unsafe to pull away from the dock.
Specially engineered dock levelers allow you to comply with warehouse rules and regulations, improve the efficiency of loading and unloading product, and also reduce the risk of warehouse injuries and accidents. Having properly configured loading dock equipment and dock levelers will ensure that your employees are safe, and can be more productive in their job.
Make loading and unloading a simpler – and safer – task for all your employees with a Pentalift dock leveler. Contact us for more information and an expert consultation on your dock equipment requirements.