Avoiding Tragedy on the Loading Dock

Forklift accidents and fatalities are a serious reality at the loading dock. The trailer is an extension of the warehouse floor that can unexpectedly separate from the dock if the proper safety precautions aren't taken.

Choosing the appropriate vehicle restraint to help prevent these tragedies can be difficult. It is important to understand that site-specific factors may limit options for making sure a trailer safely stays in place and, more importantly, which restraint will deliver the highest level of safety possible given each unique dock application.

THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS

The three types of devices used to secure trailers at a dock include wheel-based vehicle restraints, rear impact guard (RIG)-based vehicle restraints (rotating hook and vertical barrier) and industrial wheel chocks. Wheel- and RIG-based restraints work in different ways to provide a high degree of safety based on the specific application, and both provide clear communication at all times. Wheel chocks are wedge-shaped blocks that are manually placed behind the wheels of a trailer to keep it from rolling out of a stationary position.

Wheel-based restraints provide a high level of safety because they engage the wheel of a trailer to safely secure the vehicle in place. A RIG-based restraint with a full rotating hook provides an extremely high level of protection because the hook has the upward reach necessary to wrap up and over the widest range of RIG-shapes and sizes and hold them firmly in place.

Unfortunately, rotating hook RIG-based restraints won't always match every application. The reasons for this include:

• Trailers with missing or damaged RIGs;
• Trailers equipped with hydraulic lift gates that prevent access to trailer's RIG;
• Trailer designs or components, such as flaps, that interfere with the ability to engage a RIG;
• Areas of the world with no RIG regulations or standards, which creates doubt as to whether a RIG-based restraint will suffice in all circumstances; and
• Dock approaches that won't support the use of a RIG.

When a rotating hook, RIG-based restraint isn't an option, companies must decide on whether to use wheel-based restraints or chocks. Knowing how chocks measure up to wheel-based restraints weighs heavily on the decision.

THE LIMITATIONS OF CHOCKS

Chocks are available in a wide range of sizes to match the sizes of tires. Under standard 29 CFR 1910.178 issued by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), operators must set the brakes of their trucks and trailers and block their wheels to prevent vehicle movement.

The OSHA standard makes it clear that something needs to be done to prevent trailer movement. However, many safety experts and most dock equipment manufacturers agree that chocks offer only minimal protection against trailer movement. In the worst-case scenario, the devices create a false sense of security that all is safe for trailer loading and unloading. The reality is that chocks:

• Slip on ice and snow — allowing the trailer to creep or walk away from the dock;

• Lack a communication system to relay vitally important signals to truck drivers and forklift operators about the status of the device;

• Don't provide enough restraining force to minimize the potential for early departure, which is a situation that occurs when a truck driver pulls way from the dock during loading or unloading;

• Create confusion about the person responsible for placing chocks;

• Require enforcement of policies to verify the devices are in use;

• Frequently are damaged, misplaced or stolen; and

• Create other safety concerns, such as back injuries when the chocks are set in place.