Your loading dock is the heart of your shipping and receiving operation, and having a safe yet functional dock is critical for your employees and your inventory. Here are a few things you can add to your loading dock to keep it safe and secure throughout each day.

Door Guards

Door guards are simple structures that fit inside your dock area. They are placed in front of your overhead doors and provide additional reinforcement for your structure. When put in place, these guards provide impact resistance in the event that a truck or forklift hit your building or door. The guards can help to absorb some of the impact from the collision, which can prevent extensive damage to your building and injuries to your staff. Consider placing on of these guards at each of your loading dock bays for enhanced safety.

Loading Dock Levelers

Loading dock levelers attach to the edge of your dock. When put in place, these levelers create a smooth surface for your forklifts and pallet jacks to travel across. This helps to reduce the chances of your pallets getting damaged and helps to reduce the chance that your forklift wheels might get stuck in a gap between the truck trailer and the dock platform. Many levelers have a collapsing or folding design that keeps them out of the way when there is no truck in your docking bay.

Dock Door Safety Guard Systems

If your overhead doors will be open for any reason when there are no trucks in your bays, you'll need to consider adding safety equipment that prevents your employees from falling off the dock ledge. You can add safety chains that attach to either side of the door frame, or you can put a metal swinging gate in place that can be opened when you are accepting a delivery but closed when the overhead door is open. Choose safety equipment for your dock door entrances that are brightly colored so your staff is sure to see them when operating a forklift or walking through your dock area.

Each of the dock bays in your shipping and receiving area should have some sort of protections put in place, whether it is a safety chain for each of your overhead doors or a leveler that provides a bridge for your forklifts and pallet jacks. Talk to your staff about any safety concerns they have for your loading dock so you can be sure to get the best possible safety equipment for your shipping and receiving center.