Cutting down hazards
December 1st 2004

An estimated 25% of factory and warehouse accidents occur in the loading bay. High levels of human and mechanical traffic combined with a low appreciation of the risks involved, means that loading bays are potentially extremely hazardous places in which to work.

Loading bays are the areas within a warehouse where ingoing and outgoing goods are loaded and unloaded from a road vehicle. Normally this will mean articulated lorries and trailers that are serviced by forklift trucks. The loading/unloading will take place either from the side of a curtain sided trailer or the back of a solid sided trailer.

Loading bays will typically fall into one of two categories: one with a raised dock area, which a lorry will reverse up to, or one which is flat, and at the same level as the warehouse floor. The hazards that exist are different, dependent upon the type of loading bay and the equipment used.

With a raised loading dock, the road vehicle will reverse up to the dock, and the floor of the trailer will be at the same height. A dock leveller moves up and down to bridge the gap between the two, to enable forklift trucks to make a smooth, safe transition into and out of the trailer. A flat floor loading bay will have forklift trucks lifting the goods from the floor into the trailer.

Safety in the loading bay is not a stationery target, and over the years there have been technological advances, making the loading bay a safe and more efficient area in which to operate. Examples include the wide spread replacement of unreliable mechanical dock levellers with electrically controlled hydraulic devices; the interlocking of all the equipment on the loading dock to reduce operator errors; the introduction of wheel locks to prevent lorry trailers moving away from the loading dock before they should.

Unplanned trailer departure from the loading dock is one of the most common hazards. This can occur either because the trailer ‘creeps’ away from the dock as it is being loaded or unloaded, or because the driver drives off, thinking it is OK to do so. Another risk to operators is becoming trapped by the lorry trailer - lorries have even been known to crush warehouse operatives when reversing into loading bays. To prevent such occurrences, it is essential that a clear system of communication between lorry drivers and warehouse personnel exists. A traffic light system is an easy solution but it is by no means foolproof. A wheel restraint, that locks the trailer in place is far more effective and solves the problems of trailer creep and unplanned vehicle departure. It is also necessary that forklift trucks and lorries are regularly maintained and checked prior to operation, to avoid trailer brake failure and related accidents.

Vacant loading docks create a dangerous drop-off for dock personnel and material handling equipment.

Seven percent of the forklift accidents that occur every year are due to forklift trucks running off loading docks. A safety barrier is a simple to use safety solution. The barrier is manually positioned across loading dock openings and physically stops forklift trucks and pedestrians from falling off the docks.

The substantial risks of the loading bay continuously need addressing, to reduce the number of loading bay accidents. Dock personnel must be properly trained in the safe use of all loading equipment, and safe working systems must be put in place.

There is now cost-effective technology available to warehouse operators that will reduce the high level of accidents in the loading bay, and the costly repairs and legal problems that can result from these.

Combine this with operator training and we will see the loading bay become a less hazardous place.

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