Loading docks are busy and congested areas, and maintaining a comprehensive safety plan can benefit your business by preventing costly and disruptive incidents.
Truck Restraints
As trucks enter a loading dock bay, ensuring that the truck stays in place is critical to the safety of your labor force. As lift trucks drive on and off trailers and cargo is added or removed, significant weight shifts ensue. As trailers are jostled they tend to move unless they are safely tethered in place by some kind of restraint mechanism.
Any time a trailer is unintentionally moved, it is known as “trailer creep.” This is exceedingly hazardous for a forklift driver, as the dock plate is disconnected from the trailer. A forklift can quickly fall off the side of the loading dock, resulting in serious injury or death.
A further concern is unplanned departures. Sometimes drivers will depart from the dock before cargo transfer is finished due to error or miscommunication. If a forklift is active during an unscheduled departure it can be fatal to the driver. Truck restraints are engineered to prevent trailers from driving off from a dock until it is safe to proceed. Restraints can be as simple as wheel chocks, or they can be as advanced as hydraulic hooks that tie into doors and dock levelers through interlock safety systems.
Trailer Restraints (Dock Locks)
Trailer restraint mechanisms are in essence claws that grab the ICC bar on a trailer to hold it tightly in place. These restraints can be simple, manually operated systems or more advanced electric or hydraulic configurations.
Trailer restraints are often wired directly into the door and leveler equipment on a loading dock bay, so that they can’t be disconnected if the door is ajar, the dock leveler is engaged or the truck driver hasn’t been instructed to proceed by the dock operator. Safety features like these are extremely beneficial on any busy loading dock and can greatly improve safety and productivity.
Wheel Chocks
Using wheel chocks is probably the simplest way to keep a vehicle stable. Wouldn’t it make more sense to just use wheel chocks instead of an expensive restraint system? Although basic wheel chocks can work well, there are many risks:
- Absent minded workers may sometimes fail to put chocks in place
- Uneven surfaces can make chocks fail if they aren’t placed correctly
- Chocks can get misplaced, and busy employees may forego them instead of falling behind
- Placing wheel chocks may require employees to get low to the ground where drivers can’t see them, endangering the worker if the truck moves
Dock Restraints Near Me
If you would like to learn more about vehicle restraints or additional loading dock safety equipment, contact a dock and door professional at Welch Equipment today.
