Loading Docks
Employees and visitors can easily fall off a dock. Due to operator error, a piece of powered equipment (such as a lift truck) may drive off a dock. If a tractor prematurely pulls out with a trailer, the lift truck and operator may crash to the dock floor, which could result in serious injury or death. A lift truck could also skid off the dock as a result of contact with a slippery surface.
Product stored or being moved can easily fall (on someone) if not stacked properly. Product can be damaged by a lift truck’s forks or rear-end swing. In addition, sprinkler heads may be struck by loads being lifted; the resulting water flow may damage product.
Clearly, the hazards are many. Losses may arise due to injury, downtime, product damage and missed shipments. To enhance dock safety, management can take several steps.
Paint the dock edge yellow to provide a better visual perception of the hazard.
Require wheel chocking at every bay door. When a trailer creeps or pulls out prematurely, the lift truck may fall between the trailer and the dock floor, leading to serious injury or death.
Verify that ladders from dock surface to dock well meet OSHA specifications. In addition, management must prohibit dock jumping, which can lead to serious ankle, knee and back injuries.
Provide proper illumination for exit doors. Such doors should also feature an exit sign and be equipped with emergency lighting.
Allow only trained, authorized employees to operate powered hand trucks or hand jacks (also called walkies). Although these devices appear easy to operate, they actually pose hazards similar to those of forklifts. These units turn in a small radius, which can trap the operator’s hand between the operating handle and a fixed object (such as storage racks).
Inspect the dock area daily to ensure that fire extinguishers are not blocked (by some obstacle) or damaged.
Make sure dock plates are designed for the loads and lift trucks that will use them. Attempts to manually place portable dock plates can lead to back injury. Some portable models have built-in handles and can be mechanically lifted using lift truck forks.
Install dock plates with non-skid surfaces. Use yellow edging on fixed plates to help operators gain perspective on distance while driving on them. Color highlighting also helps prevent operators from driving off the side.
When dock plates need repair, rope off the surrounding area and post appropriate signage.
Clean out dock areas periodically in order to remove accumulated debris. Paper, wood and other combustible materials may fall into the holes along the open sides of dock plates, which poses a fire hazard. Dock well drainage must also be maintained to prevent standing water.
Identify overhead pipes and highlight them with color. Install barriers to protect pipes or other building structures that can be struck by a lift truck or load. Where possible, paint these barriers yellow.
Inspect the integrity of trailer floors before a lift truck is driven onto them. Support the trailer’s nose if the base is poor, landing wheels are defective or the trailer is leaning. Also, inspect trailer wheels to make sure they are properly located and locked-in-place to prevent the trailer from tipping.
Powered Industrial Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are a key component of the material handling process in a warehouse. These vehicles are also dangerous. A lift truck has a high center of gravity, turns more sharply than an auto (because its rear wheels do the steering) and may weigh three to four times more than an auto. All of these factors contribute to forklift tip over. Management can implement additional safeguards as well.
Install back-up alarms on trucks, which can prevent many struck-by or caught-between injuries. Typically, alarm volume may be adjusted so it poses no nuisance to those nearby. Evaluate the working area to make sure the alarm acts as a warning device and does not confuse employees. Flashing lights can also aid safety. Like back-up alarms, lights should act only to warn (not annoy) others.
Equip trucks with rear-view mirrors that are convex or panoramic in design to give operators the best view possible.
The goal of these safeguards is to aid operators and alert others to the movement of powered equipment.
Conveyors
Conveyors are common in the warehouse and distribution industry. Management can enhance conveyor safety via the following safeguards.
Inspect conveyors on a regular basis. The manufacturer or an outside engineering firm can inspect the devices using a comprehensive checklist. In addition, supervisors and safety committee members should conduct planned inspections on a regular basis.
Color code off/on buttons and ensure easy accessibility. These buttons should be available at various intervals along conveyors. These emergency controls are in addition to controls at the front and back ends of the system. Another alternative is to install a flag switch and emergency pull cords along the sides of conveyors.
Develop a means of locking out the conveyor and train employees in these procedures.
Install netting or other protective guarding (to prevent product from falling) on the sides or under conveyors in areas where pedestrians may walk. If employees must cross over a conveyor, provide stairs and railing or enable one section of the conveyor to fold up in order to accommodate access. Climbing onto or over conveyors must be prohibited.
Install a shutoff device (in the form of electronic sensors or sensitivity wires) to prevent over-stacking and falling product at the ends of conveyors. Over-stacking exposes employees to manual material handling, which can cause productivity problems and product damage.
Focus on pinch points unguarded drive sprockets and drive belts during conveyor inspections. Color code guards with yellow paint to increase awareness.
Post signage, and install alarms and warning lights to alert employees when the system starts or stops. Make sure light-beam switches and emergency controls are fully functional.
Provide proper lighting and working surfaces in the area surrounding the conveyor. Special floor mats can enhance employee comfort. Verify that conveyor height is adjustable at both the feeding and removal end to accommodate employee height. Adjustable pallet stackers further reduce the need for bending and lifting.
Use portable conveyors that are designed to roll into place. If a conveyor must be manually lifted, train employees to seek assistance (e.g., a lift truck) in order to avoid injury to the back, foot or hand.
Materials Storage
A warehouse provides a building where product and materials are brought in, stored and later retrieved for shipment to another location. Product movement and storage pose risk to all present. To improve safety and productivity, employers should take the following steps.
Visually inspect pallets as they arrive and remove those in poor condition. Loads can fall from racking or storage if a pallet breaks. Also, lifting a bad pallet that is loaded can cause product to unexpectedly fall on employees.
Stack loads straight and evenly. Place loads directly on racking. Correct loads that look out of balance.
Where possible, shrink wrap loads or place plastic or metal banding around them. A secure load helps protect lift truck operators.
Place yellow protective posts or barriers at the ends of racking to prevent damage caused by lift truck movement.
Space racks so that pallets being handled cannot damage other loads. Spotting a load on one side of a rack could easily push the adjacent load into the next aisle perhaps onto unsuspecting employees.
Provide sufficient space so lift trucks can turn properly and safely, without damaging storage racks.
Make sure floor surfaces and aisles are smooth and free of ruts, debris and slippery surfaces (e.g., oil, chemicals, fluids, water), which may hinder operators’ ability to stop powered equipment. In addition, the jarring motion of a forklift operating on a poorly maintained floor can seriously injure operators’ legs and back.
Store product on shelving, not in aisles or on the floor.
Store low-sales (infrequently handled) product out of the way. Place product that is regularly handled (manually) on shelves that are knee high and not above shoulder height.
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Warehouse Safety