From The Ergoweb® Learning Center

Misc. Dock Issues

Dan MacLeod, CPE, MA, MPH

Issues and Options

Door Maintenance

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Truck/trailer doors Dock bay doors

Evaluations in some distribution centers have revealed that the heaviest lifts were opening doors. The remedy in all cases was simply improving maintenance schedules.

Dock leveler

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Before: Heavy push After: Dock leveler

The photo above left shows an instance of a mismatch between the dock height and the truck bed, causing employees to manually push a powered pallet jack up the abrupt dock plate. A common solution is to incorporate levelers into the dock that can be adjusted to fit differing heights, as shown above right.

Dock lift

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Dock lift

Another standard solution is using a scissors lift outside the dock. A lift of this type can accommodate a wide range of truck bed heights, plus makes for a completely level surface. However, it lift requires operation for each load that is transfered between the bed and the dock.