Printing News serves the entire Printing Industry with targeted content for the large commercial print segment.
SECTOR REPORTS
such as lift trucks. Accidents are more than likely to occur on the warehouse's dock. There are various kinds of loading dock-relat- ed accidents. Some of the most common acci- dents that are caused by early departure, trailer creep, and lift trucks backing off of docks. One of the ways warehouse workers can pre-
A
vent dock-related accidents is to use the proper dock equipment, which can increase both safety and performance.
Vehicle restraints Dock-related accidents can be prevented
by using equipment such as vehicle restraint systems, which are designed to prevent a trailer from moving away from the warehouse loading dock.
GMR Safety's Powerchock System can help
prevent a trailer from early departure and trailer creep. This is utilized by placing it in front of the trailer's rear tire, which locks onto a ground plate; this fits universally on all vehicles. The vehicle restraint locks into place when the weight of the truck pushes the chock teeth into the ground plate. According to Isabelle Grenon, sales coordina-
tor at Quebec, Canada-based GMR Safety Inc., one of the benefits of the Powerchock System is that it "has over 30,000 pounds of restraining force" and it doesn't rely on a trailer's ICC bar strength. GMR Safety's vehicle restraint is also unaffected by harsh conditions, such as snowy weather. By using the weight of the trailer, the vehicle restraint is designed to penetrate any ice and snow. The Powerchock System can be set up with ease in less than 30 seconds, which is another plus.
Dock levelers A dock leveler is dock equipment that con- nects the warehousing loading dock to the back
34 MARCH 2012 • FOOD LOGISTICS
GMR Safety's Powerchock System helps prevent a trailer from early departure and trailer creep by placing it in front of the trailer's rear tire. It also works in snow and ice conditions.
of the trailer. Dock levelers, unlike dock boards, stay at the warehouse. Milwaukee, Wisconsin- based Rite-Hite Corp. offers something more than just an average dock leveler—their RHV Vertical Storing Dock Leveler also aids in envi- ronmental and safety control. "Our goal is to create a safe, secure, energy- efficient, productive loading dock," states Walt Swietlik, director of customer relations at Rite- Hite. The RHV Vertical Storing Dock Leveler helps to increase dock performance by decreas- ing dock shock, the constant and potentially harmful shaking that occurs when a lift truck driver crosses over gaps on traditional dock levelers. Dock shock can cause long term back and neck injuries, which can be costly to a com- pany and for lift truck drivers. According to Rite-Hite, 21 percent of lift truck drivers suffer from dock shock. Rite-Hites' dock leveler has an extended beveled edge in order to create a smoother transition between a trailer bed and the leveler to alleviate dock shock. There are many benefits of Rite-Hites' dock
leveler being vertically stored. While the dock leveler isn't in use, it acts as a safety barrier in between the warehouse and the dock exit, which
will prevent lift trucks and other machinery from backing off of the dock. This also provides an increase in security, which helps to prevent forced entry into the warehouse.
Dock seals Dock seals are used around the exterior part
of a warehouse dock to protect shipments from the weather. Rite-Hites' TP Platinum Dock Seal is a premium dock seal that is made with dura- thon fabric, which is a friction resistant material. Durathon fabric helps to extend the life of the dock seals by providing advanced rip strength. Dock seals have a significant impact when
transporting perishable food items since it helps maintain the freshness and the quality of perishable products in between loading and unloading. Heat from a trailer light can start a fire on the dock seal causing incredible damage and put- ting workers at risk. Rite-Hites' heat-dissipation system, Firefighter protection, prevents burning caused by heat build-up.
Dock boards Similar to a warehouse dock leveler, dock boards bridge the gap between the loading dock
www.foodlogistics.com
ccording to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), roughly 100 industry workers are fatally injured every year and about 95,000 workers are injured every year while operating industrial trucks,
WAREHOUSE: DOCK EQUIPMENT
Dock Equipment Raises the Bar for Safety and Performance
New equipment offerings make the warehouse safer and more efficient. By Maria Hoffman