What to Remember When Ordering Dock Door Seals
Dock door seals are an excellent way to control heat loss, theft and also insects and other pests. When you are ready to place your dock door seals order, be sure you know the number of units you'd like to protect, but also some crucial information such as your dock bumper projection, the width and height of the door, the amount of incline or decline on the approach to the door, and the level degree.
You should also measure the distance from the horizontal dock pad to the ground, and the clearance for both the sides and the top of the door for mounting purposes. These are all vital stats of your dock door seals. You may also be asked to specify what type of dock pads and mounts you are using.
Dock Bumpers and Structural Damage
When a truck is backing up to the loading door for onload or offload, sometimes the driver can misjudge the distance between the back of the truck and the dock, resulting in an impact on the building structure itself. Without properly installed dock bumpers, a "shock load" from a loading truck has to potential to damage your building wall, rendering it inoperable; whether the damage happens gradually over time or as the result of a single big impact.
Companies that have dock bumpers installed in the at-risk areas have a reduced potential for damage to the building walls structure. Dock bumpers absorb the impact of the accidental collision, whether by an operator whose foot accidentally slipped off the brake or operator error in judging the distance to the building wall. While dock bumpers are no substitute for a spotter, the potential for human error in spotting warrants the extra protection a good set of dock bumpers can bring.
Dock Restraints and You
When a large Tractor Trailer comes to a stop at the loading dock, the dock worker restraints the ICC Bar of the trailer to prevent it from shifting during the unload process. Dock truck restraints also prevent premature departure. Dock truck restraints are a tool that can cut potential hazards in the work area and prevent mishaps.
There are two basic types: the manual dock truck restraint activated with a push rod while standing on top of the loading dock. Also the the electro-hydraulic truck restraint activated with control box utilizing push button control. Either model you choose will be a vast improvement over the unsafe conditions created by not using them.
When taking your operation's needs into account, remember trucks have an ICC Bar to hook to. This ICC Bar has a DOT regulation configuration. These factors, combined with certain weather conditions may change the potential effectiveness of some dock truck restraints. It's a very good idea to do your homework on the specs and operator's manual for any new equipment.
Dock Barricades and Workplace Safety
Some shops require forklifts and other loading dock equipment to operate in the vicinity of ledges and other surfaces that could create a safety hazard for the operator. The operator, for the lack of a dock barricade, may accidentally drive off the operating surface.
If your crews are running loading dock equipment without dock barricades, your shop, work site or storage facility has a large risk factor that is easily eliminated with the installation of dock barricades. Your initial investment in dock barricades as part of your safety plan not only contributes to risk management operations, it also helps minimize the chance of an accident and therefore helps minimize the chance of a lawsuit.
Dock Levelers--Measurements Required!
The dock levelers model you order will depend on the kind of application you'll be using it for.
* The dock levelers - known as railroad dockboards - are used for dock-to-railroad car service.
* If you are loading tractor trailers from a loading dock, chances are you'll need an edge of dock leveler or a traditional pit dock dock leveler to get the job done.
Whatever model you choose, you'll need to do some additional research as many of these models have subcategories, and many of them have manual models as well as hydraulic dock levelers versions.
As usual, you will need to take your operation's dock dimensions and space restrictions into account when making your order. For the larger models you'll also need to insure you have the clearance for the fully extended configuration of the dock leveler.
Better Visibility Equals Good Risk Management
Dock lights--both the traffic signal dock light signal and the loading dock spot light --are an important part of good operational risk management. Sometimes the "red means stop" light is the only signal a driver may recognize if a hazardous situation arises where a truck should not depart from the loading dock or proceed into the loading dock area.
Dock lights are another one of those measures that can reduce the need for a lawyer by preventing mishaps caused by a simple lack of communication. It's a bad idea to leave all the work up to the spotter's hand signals.
"Green for GO and Red for STOP" signals do prevent mishaps--it's the reason why military airfields employ them on busy runways--in addition to the radio relay, the signal light provides an extra layer of security. Dock lights for illumination work in their own way for risk reduction--the better the visibility in your loading area, the easier time your drivers have maneuvering into position. You can't be sued for bad visibility with a functioning and properly installed array of dock lights.
The Problem of Stump-Out
More than sixty percent of all trucking industry vehicles are equipped with "air ride" suspensions, which can cause 'stump out' during dock procedures. Stump out occurs when the air ride suspension causes the truck to lower (between three to eight inches) with the lip of the dock leveler lowering with it. This can potentially cause damage, and the steep angle of the lip can create a hazard.
When purchasing your next hydraulic dock leveler, be sure to ask whether the leveler is equipped with anti-stump out sensors that can eliminate the phenomenon or minimize the risks associated with stump out. There are models today that have sensors and a measure of 'free-fall protection" that can make a big difference in loading operations with a commercial vehicle.