"Loading docks can be dangerous. About 25 percent of all reported warehouse injuries occur on loading docks, and for each incident hundreds of near misses occur. Causes of dock injury include truck separation from the dock and falls from the dock – particularly when a forklift backs off the platform and falls on the operator."
- Safety + Health Magazine
One of the best ways to prevent falls in your loading dock area is to install safety gates. Safety gates are easy to install and provide a host of safety benefits to warehouse employees. First, they provide a visual barrier that alerts drivers and employees to proceed with caution. Second, they can be used alongside a guardrail system to help protect all sides of your loading dock area. And third, they provide an extra element of protection from falls.
Another option to safeguard your loading docks is to install a fall arrest system. A single pole system or a linked single pole system is a great option for loading docks. Single pole fall protection systems provide a convenient alternative when numerous obstacles exist in the work space and standard multiple-column systems are not practical. Single pole systems require only a single foundation.
Click here to continue reading Gorbel's Fall Protection Guide.