The dangers and hazards that employees face working on loading docks require special safety issues. Workers should not only be careful about what they are doing, but they also need to be aware of other people that are working around them as well as co-workers using different forms of material-handling machines or equipment.
What is a Loading Dock?
A loading dock is a recessed bay in a facility or building where trucks are loaded or unloaded. Loading docks are commonly found in industrial and commercial buildings such as warehouses and hospitals in particular.
Loading docks are a part of a utility infrastructure or a facility’s service which usually provides direct access to freight elevators, storage rooms, and distribution areas.
Loading Dock Hazards
The high level of activity at a loading dock and the presence of physical hazards can lead to serious injuries to workers and can sometimes lead to fatality. Therefore, it is important to be proactive in determining potential hazards in a loading dock area like:
- Injuries from the careless operation of material handling machines and equipment
- Eye and head injuries from falling objects
- Back injuries from improper carrying or lifting
- Falls caused by unsecured dock plates
- Slips caused by oily or wet floors
- Congestions and traffic
- Inadequate lighting
- Hazards associated with lifting devices, doors, rolling conveyors, trucks, and other moving parts and equipment.
Beacon Lights for Loading Dock Safety
While there are many tips and preventive measures in order to avoid any disaster in a loading dock area, adding some equipment can help in having a safe loading dock environment. One helpful piece of equipment that can prevent trucks and other material-handling machines and equipment from accidents or traffic congestions are beacon lights.
As we all know loading docks are the busiest part of any commercial or industrial buildings. With employees and vehicles or other material-handling equipment constantly moving in and out of the area, a poorly planned or designed loading dock can easily create confusion, traffics and worse accidents between trailers, workers or employees, forklifts and can cause severe damage to goods, equipment, personnel as well as the building itself.
In order to minimise the hazards and risks associated with traffic and collisions, proper designing and planning of loading docks and choosing proper equipment is a must, as is the installation of traffic and warning lights.
The Significance of Beacon Lamps on Loading Docks
Beacon lamps can be used as safety signalling devices which can help alert loading dock personnel and truck drivers to the status of docking trucks or docks and provide clear instructions to incoming drivers when navigating or approaching a loading dock. They can also be used as a signal light in a wide variety of applications including inspection lanes, lift gates and parking lots, access to secured areas, and drive-up windows.
Beacon lamps can help provide added safety to loading dock areas by improving a truck driver’s perception when backing to an open dock. It provides an ideal reference point for drivers in order to align a truck trailer with the warehouse or other commercial building doors while safely backing into a loading truck. These reliable guiding beacon lamps should provide a powerful safety system in order to reduce any risks of accidents in and around loading dock areas.
Types of Loading Dock Lights
- Dock Guide Lights
These lights are used to illuminate the interior of a trailer during loading and unloading. The process of loading and unloading goods from the trailer sometimes cause accidents because of the dark surrounding and may harm loading personnel as well as damage goods. These lights shall give proper lighting for illumination and keep employees and personnel safe and have an accurate docking, particularly during night operations.
- Stop and Go Lights
These lights are usually composed of Red and Green lights and are used to help manage traffic flow in a loading dock area. These lights also prevent unscheduled trailer entries and truck departures by giving red and green light signals to forklift drivers and truck drivers.
The red or Stop light means to wait for the green signal and the green or Go light indicates that incoming drivers are cleared to back in the dock. These lights help in alerting truck and forklift drivers to the status of docked or docking trucks and let them know when they can pull away from the loading dock. This should help prevent any accident, damage or injuries to trucks, docks, and personnel with the increase in communications between dock personnel and truck drivers.
- Recommendations
Stop / Go Traffic Lights are typically used for outdoor or indoor signals, warning applications and safety systems inside the facility. The main purpose of these lights is to give a clear warning or signals to truck drivers in order to prevent any accident like collisions or traffic.