How to Create a Safe Loading Dock Area
Updated on: January 2nd, 2025
A large portion of loading dock safety relies heavily on your team. By providing them with safety training, and ensuring that the loading dock area is free of hazards and properly equipped, you will minimize risk of employee injury as well as damage to goods, trucks and equipment.
Some of the most common injuries that occur on loading docks result from:
- Unsecured dock plates
- Falls off dock edges
- Un-chocked or improperly chocked trailer wheels
- Improper lifting and carrying techniques
- Careless behavior around forklifts and equipment
- Uneven or slick floors
- Carbon monoxide inhalation from trucks
So how do you keep your workplace incident-free? Besides providing regular training, here are the tools, tips, and products that can help:
Clean Regularly: Keep Floors, Dry, Clear and Debris-Free
Keep common walking and driving areas clear of spills, trash, packaging material and any obstacles. If a spill occurs, alert trained responders and follow material safety sheets depending on the nature of the spill. Any cracks or uneven floor surfaces should be identified and fixed as soon as possible.
Designate Walking and Driving Areas
Guard rails, bollards, and barriers can help delineate walking zones and driving zones so that forklift operators can quickly and easily avoid collisions with people and equipment. Adding walkways with hi-vis markings make it clear to visitors and workers where pedestrian traffic should be at all times so reduce the risk of machinery and pedestrians colliding.
Exercise Physical Safety Around Truck and Trailers
Wheels and exhaust are two of the biggest safety hazards that semi-trucks bring to any loading dock work environment. Carbon monoxide emissions from truck exhaust can cause unconsciousness and illness, and are especially dangerous because they are invisible and carry no smell. Make sure drivers turn off their motors promptly as soon as they’re safely docked. Truck and trailer wheels should be chocked before any loading or unloading takes place, so there is no risk of a jolt moving the tires or slipping the dock plate out of place.
Consider Loading Dock Solutions Designed to Increase Efficiency and Reduce Worker Strain
Because not every facility, truck and loading application is the same, having the right solutions in place will facilitate the loading and unloading process. Not only will this save you time and money, these products are engineered to put less stress on your employees and equipment.
- Yard Ramps: Convenient for trucks that aren't docked in a bay, yard ramps allow workers to access the truck bed with a forklift instead of waiting for a bay. They can also be used against a dock to allow a forklift to pass from the bay to ground level, saving valuable time. Models vary, with the biggest differences being single-piece yard ramps that ship assembled and compact yard ramps that ship and store on a pallet. Read about how to choose the correct yard ramp.
- Dock Boards & Plates: Although both create a safe pathway for workers; the biggest difference between dock plates and dock boards is that the plates are meant for hand machinery and walking, whereas the boards are designed for forklift use. With hi-vis edges or guard rails, they alert workers to the edge to reduce the chance or a run-off.
- Edge of Dock Levelers: Designed as the built-in alternative to a dock board or plate, edge of dock levelers allow workers to cover the gap with a full-width bridge. Models and installation methods vary, and some can be operated with a button, eliminating the potential for injury. For more information, see our Edge of Dock Leveler Buying Guide.
- Semi-Truck Wheel Risers: Risers allow you to level off a trailer while backing it into a dock, a necessity for preventing safety hazards associated with uneven loading docks.
Ensure Dock Plates are Placed Correctly
Once a dock plate has been placed, slide it into position and made sure it is secure. Never drop a dock plate into position because this could result in damage or injury. Always double check that the dock plate being used has a high enough weight capacity to handle the cargo that is being loaded or unloaded, along with the weight of your forklift or pallet jack and their operator.
Load and Unload Using Appropriate Equipment, Protection and Posture
In addition to dressing appropriately with proper footwear and protective gear (if required), maintaining constant awareness of other employees, vehicles, cargo and the loading dock environment is the best way to stay safe while on the job. The rest falls under common sense workplace etiquette – always maintain a safe distance from loading dock edges, never jump up or off a loading dock, and never run in the loading dock area.
Practice Safe Workplace Etiquette and Constant Vigilance
When moving light cargo, steal a couple of tips from professional weight lifters – always wear protective gloves, and bend with your knees, never your back! There will always be another load, but you’ll never have another body. Use your powerful legs instead of your spine.
Load hand trucks with the heaviest items at the bottom, and make sure everything is secure and balanced before you start rolling. While maneuvering a stacked hand truck, you should be able to see over the top.
Use forklifts and jacks to move palletized product, and always make sure you confirm that the weight of palletized load is less than the capacity of the equipment you’re using.
Make workplace safety the top priority at your loading docks. In addition to these tips, it’s crucial that that every employee receives the training and certification they need in order to perform their responsibilities safely and diligently.