How To Decrease Work Accidents And Lighten The Impact Of Garage Doors On The Dock
Working in a warehouse, there are so many things that can cause serious injury. Certainly not the least of these are the commercial garage doors that line the docking bays where the semi trucks drop their loads. Typically, these doors are so heavy that they require some major door openers to hoist the doors up.
The openers keep them open while your dock crews unload the trucks. If one of these doors were to fall on someone by accident, the injuries would include cracked ribs and/or a concussion. To decrease work accidents and lighten the impact of garage doors on a body in the event of a commercial garage door accident, do all of the following.
Trade Heavy Doors for Light
Lightweight aluminum commercial doors are significantly lighter that the steel doors commonly used in warehouses. In fact, after you install the first aluminum door, you may find that it is quite easy for any one of your employees to lift and open the door on his/her own. A lighter door means that any injuries incurred in the future will be significantly less dangerous and less harmful.
Install Sensor Technology That Stops Doors Before They Cause an Accident
You have a commercial door accessory at your disposal. It is the sensor technology that causes doors to stop dead in their tracks, reverse movement so that a door opens rather than closes, and as such, it prevents all accidents with closing and/or falling garage doors. When used in conjunction with lighter aluminum doors, it is almost impossible for any of your dock employees to become concussed by a closing or falling commercial garage door.
Utilize an Industrial Strength Garage Door Opener
Yes, garage door openers are invaluable when you need to move quickly in a warehouse. However, you need openers that are foolproof. You do not need openers that suddenly snap under the strain of the weight of the garage doors. You also want the garage door openers to hold the doors aloft until the entire truck is unloaded. Even with sensor technology and a lighter weight aluminum door, an industrial strength garage door opener can help. These types of openers do not, and will not, let go of the open doors at critical moments.
Increase Dock Safety Overall
Doing all of the above increases dock safety by a mind-boggling high percentage. That is fewer workman's comp claims, less time off for employees who are not injured, and a more productive warehouse. The investments made for these changes are not inexpensive, but the long-term gains are huge.
Contact a service, like Affina Door, for more help.