Since you know that loading docks can be a spot of significantly dangerous task, loading dock safety must be your highest priority. You as well as your employees have the full right to work in a safe environment, and the organization must provide the same. At least 25% of the reported injuries that occur in factories and warehouses are directly or indirectly related to loading docks. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of near misses (close calls) for every reported case. Having said that, we’ll now have a look into the various OSHA loading dock requirements and regulations, and suggest you ways by which you can ensure full compliance. Please remember that you need to refer to the OSHA documentation for full requirements and this is just a brief blog on that.
When dock doors are kept open, it is sometimes necessary to set up a loading dock fall shield barrier. The OSHA standard mandates that a physical barrier guard be present for every wall opening that creates a drop of more than 4 feet.
Docks that are made for refrigerated trucks are generally higher, having an average height of about 50 to 60 inches as the bed height. For any of the these instances, OSHA requires the loading dock fall protection to have a guardrail.
Another option that you need to consider is to use approved OSHA loading dock safety chain. With that, don’t just assume OSHA to be your only safety concern. Individual states have their own strict requirements that the companies must follow.
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