Safety at the heart of loading bay design

Loading bays are a focal point for activity and bring together a number of elements. Forklifts, warehouse staff, vehicles and drivers as well as the loading bay equipment itself. Safety is a major concern with many risks to be considered including mechanical failure, non-compliance with procedures and simple human error.

Consequently, health and safety planning is now at the forefront of design, especially as new technologies bring with them different risk implications. Fast action doors and additional partitions are now a common feature of many warehouses, as businesses look to reduce thermal losses and better control temperatures in both standard and refrigerated buildings. Additional and potentially fast-moving parts do, however, pose new risks that must be addressed.

With warehouses now receiving a wider range of vehicles, including double deck and aerodynamic trailers, the connection between the building and the trailer can vary, and gaps can be created. In addition to energy loss, these gaps can also lead to rainwater running into the building, creating a slip hazard. One option is deeper dock shelters with inflatable heads to create a more efficient seal at the rear of the trailer, keeping rainwater out in adverse weather conditions.

In addition to simple slip hazards, there are a number of other, more complex risk issues to be addressed. Limited space often means that loading bays need to be adaptable and operate with a variety of vehicle sizes. To ensure a safe link between a range of vehicles and the loading area, flexible dock levellers are required. Larger dock levellers with longer telescopic lips are the optimum choice, as they enable precise positioning for a greater range of vehicles, improving both ease of use and safety.

Creating an integrated design that incorporates these design elements alongside operational practices and procedures can significantly add to long term safety at a site. The loading bays installed by Hörmann at Asda’s new distribution centre in Warrington are a good example of this approach. Combination dock shelters feature a 2000mm inflatable top curtain and a 1700mm projection to create an efficient seal around a number of vehicles, including the aerodynamic shaped trailers on the Asda fleet. A composite control panel for each bay links the door and leveller controls with the driver control button and the trailer wheel lock system. This means the loading bay can only operate in line with the standard procedure, minimising risks and making these bays some of the safest in the industry.

Alongside these design considerations, it is imperative that the equipment operates correctly at all times, making total preventative maintenance programmes an essential element of any safety regime. This of course has the benefit of reducing downtime, improving operational efficiency and in many cases extending the life cycle of equipment, leading to reduced operating costs.

Planning needs to take a holistic view that encompasses all aspects of safety from site specific operational requirements, through to long term maintenance and repair. This also needs to consider new product developments that can offer incremental improvements. Simple examples seen at this Asda site are the new SPU F42 doors with full width vision panels that offer better natural lighting without compromising insulation and the use of highly efficient LED lighting. The LED option improves safety too, as the dock lights have a better spread of light and the external traffic lights are an array of individual lights that are unlikely to fail like a single traditional bulb.

As industrial door and loading bay technology continues to advance in line with industry requirements, Hörmann is ideally placed to offer the most complete service from initial planning and design through to installation and long term maintenance.

Alongside design, new product development and manufacture help Hörmann to offer continual improvements to the operational and energy efficiency of loading bays. However, its is crucial that developing a safe working environment remains the primary focus.

Tel: 01530 516888

Email: info@hormann.co.uk

www.hormann.co.uk