3/11/2023 0 Comments The loading dock![]() Of the approximately 60 loading dock-related deaths in the last three years, 60% of them have involved a worker on the drive approach being crushed by a backing trailer. It’s a topic that will continue to gain attention in the coming years. Moving forward, it is critical that facilities that carry an open dock door policy adequately protect these dangerous openings. Loading dock chains are no longer compliant with OSHA. Recently, however, OSHA updated this old standard when it passed a regulation that specifically calls for a guard rail or equivalent barrier. Many facility managers are probably well aware of OSHA guide 1910.23, which stated every wall opening from which there is a drop-off of more than 4 feet shall be guarded by one of the following: rail, roller, picket fence, half door, or equivalent barrier. Considering most of these falls are in excess of 4 feet, the damage to equipment, product and workers can be catastrophic. In fact, they account for 7% of all reported forklift accidents. Protecting Pedestrians from Falls at the Loading Dockįalls from loading dock openings are one of the most common types of forklift accidents. Additional advancements will be discussed below. Recent advancements in this technology include status-at-a-glance indicators in the corners of the dock opening and on the leveler. Generally speaking, this is done with lights on the inside and outside of the loading dock. No matter what type of restraint is used, the key to safety at the loading dock is proper and constant communication. In some cases, specialized stabilizing trailer restraint units may be needed to provide additional stability, while wheel-based restraints can provide a better fit for lift-gate trailers and tankers. While “shadow-hook” restraints (which can handle intermodal chassis and a wider range of trailers) are an important step forward, even they don’t work in all situations. These different trailer configurations create a new set of challenges for securing shipments and there is no longer a one-size-fits-all trailer restraint solution for most facilities. Perhaps most dramatic has been the increase in the number of intermodal cargo containers on intermodal chassis, a category whose growth is expected to double that of traditional OTR trailers in the next decade. While OTR trailers are still prevalent across roads and at loading docks in the U.S., “non-traditional” rigs have increased dramatically in recent years-including trucks and trailers with hydraulic tailgates and refrigerated trailers on back hauls. Preventing these types of accidents was fairly straightforward with rotating-hook trailer restraints, which were considered a state-of-the-art tool for securing trailers at the dock. In the 1980s and 1990s, most shipments were on standard 45-foot to 53-foot over-the-road trailers. Trailer Upending-The reverse of trailer pop-up, this occurs when weight of the forklift sends the trailer’s nose down, causing the rear end to move up and away from the building. Trailer Pop-Up-A loaded forklift entering the rear of the trailer may cause it to move forward and drop, making the nose of the trailer suddenly rise. ![]() Landing Gear Collapse-The landing gear on a trailer may also give way, causing the trailer to pitch forward or fall to the side. Trailer Creep-In some cases, the repeated jarring made by the forklift traffic can cause the trailer to edge away from the dock, ultimately causing the lift truck to fall. Some of the more common types of trailer separation accidents are:Įarly Departure-When a truck driver unexpectedly drives away from the loading dock while a forklift operator is entering, leaving or still inside the trailer. ![]() Trailer Separation Accidentsĭespite safety improvements in the past few decades, trailer separation accidents still occur all too frequently and often result in permanent disability or even death for the workers involved. This article will look at those technologies and specifically how they can be applied in five different areas of dock safety: 1. Whatever the exact cost is, it is unnecessarily high-particularly when considering that 70% of these accidents can be prevented with equipment and technology that already exists. It is estimated that $135 million in direct costs are related to these accidents and indirect costs are likely five times that amount. Non-fatal forklift accidents are even more commonplace, with 94,750 reported cases per year. According to OSHA, more than 20 people are killed by semi-trucks at loading docks every year, and forklift-related fatalities occur every three days. Industrial facilities are inherently dangerous places, particularly around loading docks.Īccident statistics related to the two most ubiquitous pieces of equipment used in dock operations-forklifts and semi-trailers-bear this out.
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