Safety is an important consideration in all parts of an industrial facility, whether it’s a warehouse, distribution center or manufacturing plant. However, one specific area that typically concerns managers is the loading dock. The logistics environment today is more dynamic and fast-paced than ever before. Hence, busy loading docks can pose safety risks for everyone, from bystanders and service technicians, to dock attendants, forklift operators and truck drivers.
Since no two facilities are the same, and vary in terms of design and layout, there is no across-the-board solution available to enhance loading dock safety. Recent advancements in technology, however, like vehicle restraints can help businesses keep their workers safe while they are working at the facility.
What Are Vehicle Restraints and How Do They Help?
Vehicle restraints contribute towards worker and facility safety by holding trucks in place during the loading and unloading of goods. These devices are designed to prevent accidents and apply a considerable amount of restraining force to prevent a truck from edging away from the dock or pulling out prematurely.
Most incidents in a loading dock area are generally a result of two major issues: early departure and trailer creep. With quality vehicle restraints in place, though, facility managers can prevent this and ensure the risk of accidents is minimized and your workers can work in a safe environment. This goes a long way in reducing costs and improving productivity!
The Benefits of Vehicle Restraints
Vehicle restraints, also commonly referred to as truck restraints, can prove a critical component when it comes to the safety and efficiency of an industrial facility. These useful loading dock devices provide the following benefits:
- Elimination of problematic missing wheel chocks.
- Allows for a wide range of trucks and trailers to be secured, preventing the risk of accidents and injuries.
- Improves worker and driver safety by preventing:
- Early Truck Departure – when a driver attempts to move his truck away from the loading dock too soon.
- Trailer Creep – when the truck trailer slowly moves away from the loading dock, due to the force of impact of the forklift during travel between the dock and the truck bed.
- Forklift Fall off – trailer creep can cause a gap between the dock and the truck bed that the forklift could potentially fall into.
- Many vehicle restraint systems can be integrated with stop and go light communication systems for added safety.
- Vehicle restraints are readily available, and allow facility managers to improve loading dock safety at a reasonable cost.
As you can see, vehicle restraints are extremely important when it comes to safety in a loading dock environment. However, to ensure you receive the benefits these devices offer, always purchase loading dock equipment from reputable manufacturers and providers.
