Outfitting Your Loading Dock for Safety Ad Efficiency: Three Types of Equipment to Purchase

Your company's loading dock is the gateway for products coming in and out of your warehouse. The loading dock should be equipped to run efficiently, but it should also have proper safety equipment as well. If you are looking to give your loading dock an upgrade, here are some options to consider.

Dock Lights

The interior of semi-trailers can be dark, which can lead to potential tripping hazards and other injuries. Working in the dark can also make your crew less efficient since it takes longer to move items onto and off of the truck. Dock lights can be a great solution to this problem. Lights on telescoping or extending arms can be swung into the entrance to the semi-trailer, providing ample illumination for handling goods on the truck. When your crew isn't working on a semi-trailer, they can use the lights to keep their work areas bright by simply repositioning these lights.

Hand Trucks

Heavy lifting can lead to muscle stress and strain, and hand trucks can be a great option for relieving some of the pain that comes from heavy lifting. Hydraulic hand trucks feature platforms that can be lowered and raised to meet the height of shelves, so you can easily slide boxes on and off of pallet racks and other warehouse shelving. Traditional hand carts offer a simple way to move boxes throughout your dock, and pallet jacks lift and transport entire pallets of merchandise. You may find that a combination of these different types of hand trucks can make it easier for your crew to handle lifting jobs both large and small.

Bollards

Concrete bollards can help truck drivers guide their rigs into your dock area, and they can also absorb impact if a truck is about to hit your building at a low speed. You can also add bollards to the edge of your loading dock platform to prevent hand trucks, forklifts, and other wheeled items from rolling off the dock platform. These bollards should be brightly painted for better visibility. You can also add reflective stickers or tape to keep them visible at night or when lighting conditions aren't optimal. Consider lines of bollards leading to your dock to create a path for rigs to use when backing up, and add additional bollards around nearby structures, such as wire strapping machines, trash compactors, and dumpsters to protect them from accidents when trucks are entering your dock.

For more information on dock equipment, visit a site like http://www.commercialhardwaregroup.com.


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