The world of logistics is trying to balance is the need for increased efficiencies in and around the loading bay with the uncompromising need for safety. One can never be at the expense of the other, according to Thorsten Mauritz, Marketing Manager Europe, Rite-Hite. This is in turn driving safety equipment providers not only to look at individual products to address particular concerns, such as vehicle creep or premature drive-aways, but rather to see safety as a holistic issue that needs to be considered at a solutions level.
This article was first published in the June 15th 2022 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
Loading bays and associated equipment are key to efficient and safe handling of goods and are vital to the logistics and goods transportation industries, according to BID Group. This area is one of the most used features in a warehouse environment from vehicles and personnel constantly moving in and out. Loading bays drive the revenue for the entire warehouse, so it is very important that it is always efficient, properly maintained and most importantly safe.
Thorworld and LBS supplied a wheelbarrow manufacturer with a steel frame walkramp with aluminium decking and anti-slip tread plate surface to improve vehicle loading and unloading processes, so operators could safely break down individual pallets and take the goods off the vehicle or use sack trucks to transport goods from the van to the warehouse. The walkramp offered additional safety features including a parking brake, a deadman’s braking system to protect from runaway when moving the ramps and safety chains for securing the ramp to the vehicle. To allow access for different types of vehicles, the top two metres of the walk ramp are hinged and the height can be adjusted using a manual hydraulic hand pump.
With the announcement of the acquisition of the Fen-Bay Group, Hörmann UK has moved to strengthen its position as the market leader in the supply and servicing of loading bay equipment, industrial doors, and perimeter systems. Serving a broad, diversified customer base, both from within the retail end-user sector as well as the construction market, Fen-Bay is well established as a leading manufacturer and installer of loading bay equipment, industrial doors, and security barriers – priding itself on maintaining strong, and long-lasting relationships with its customers. The acquisition also included Doncaster based Transdek who specialise in the design, manufacture and installation of modular loading bays and lifting systems.
Specialists in the provision of modular loading bay equipment, Doncaster based Transdek UK have announced the appointment of a new Business Development Manager. James MacDonald joins the company in the role, bringing with him a wealth of experience in both the loading bay and logistics markets. Before joining Transdek, MacDonald, who has an MBA in Business, spent over 10 years providing loading bay solutions to large multi-national organisations and numerous businesses within the logistics sector, working on projects ranging from a single dock leveller loading bay up to multi-bay dock and door loading packages for multiple RDCs.
As loading bays become more efficient, it is essential that safety is maintained.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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