Loading zones are high-traffic work areas with many safety hazards. Even for fully-trained employees, bad habits and lapses in best safety practices can be fostered over time — such as using overhead doors without proper caution. 

Demand for goods is likely at an all-time high. Many people who were stuck at home during the pandemic restrictions opted to make home improvements and upgrades. Combine that with significant supply chain slow-downs and there is a recipe for extreme demand.

Loading docks are a key part of any warehouse or factory that regularly moves products in and out of the facility. The perpetual movement of people, equipment, and merchandise through these spaces can create a dangerous environment for staff and visitors. What does it take to design a safe and efficient loading dock?

The combination of large vehicles, heavy machinery, uneven terrain and large loads make the loading dock dangerous for warehouse workers of all kinds. Dockworkers, truck drivers and employees that work elsewhere in the facility must exercise caution when in this area.

America’s workforce is aging. According to AARP, nearly half of new jobs in the U.S. last year were filled by workers 55 years or older. Due largely to ongoing labor shortages, this disproportionately small demographic accounted for more than 1.4 million of the 2.9 million new jobs in 2018, many of them in the fast-growing sector of warehousing and distribution centers.

Loading docks are flooded with potential danger, and without the proper training, procedures, equipment, and maintenance they are liable to deliver disaster at every turn.