Hello again, I\u2019m Marty back with Warehouse and Operations as a Career, Today Joe and I would like to talk about a few of the Warehouse tools and equipment that may or may not have specific regulatory or training per say attached to them but can present dangers of injury to us and others. Joe how you been doing Sir?
\nJoe \u2013 just fine always glad to be here, how about yourself\u2026
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\nMarty \u2013 Doing Great, traveling a bit and getting to meet new people, two of my favorite things to do. Last week I mentioned two things while speaking about the use of Hand Trucks, which were Dock Plates and Wheel Chocks. Joe reached out to me and we ended up talking a bit about several different Safety Opportunities in most warehouse environments so we decided to speak about a few of them today. Joe I\u2019m still seeing a lot of the spring lever action dock plates in my travels. You know where you walk towards the middle on them and there\u2019s that large recessed ring attached to a chain that you yank on which releases a spring trigger and the dock plate pop\u2019s up, the trailer lip extends and you have to hurry up towards the top so our weight will make it drop onto the trailer where another spring trigger locks it in place I suppose. Of course, I see a lot of automatic and manual hydraulic systems out there as well and I\u2019m not sure we as warehousemen think enough about the dangers a dock plate can present to us.
\nJoe \u2013
\nAlong with dock items there are also:
\nOverhead cranes
\nLadders
\nCardboard bailers
\nTrash compactors
\nCompressed air
\nFloor buffers
\nTo name a few, that are also somewhat of a hazard if you\u2019re unprepared. Each requires it own non-regulated training for sure. Otherwise each of these can change the way your day is going.
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\nMarty \u2013 Yeah, I\u2019ve unfortunately witnessed too many Near Misses and injuries with them, in every instance the situation could have been avoided if a little focus and observation of the surroundings had been applied. I once saw a gentlemen\u2019s finger get hung up in the pull chain, the pull ring had been broken and he was just wrapping the chain around a couple of fingers and tugging on it. Well, he pulled it, the dock plate trigger released but his finger didn\u2019t come loose from the chain, the dock plate came up and his finger got cut pretty bad as his finger was pulled down into the recessed hole. Another time an unloader or lumper jumped up inside of the trailer, he was going to assist the trailer lip to raise as his friend pulled the chain and ran up the dock plate forcing it down and into position. It came down alright, right on the guy in the trailer\u2019s toes, thank goodness, he was wearing steel toe boots, and by the way they were not required at the time at that facility. He was sure thankful he had them on that day though!
\nJoe \u2013 Just because there is no license or certificate to be awarded the need for on the job training with tools and equipment is very much needed. Lots of accidents can be prevented just from listening and doing our jobs correctly. The lack of attention to detail sometimes costs us dearly especially when working with tools. By using our gear incorrectly, negligently or misreading our equipment causes us to not be in full control of the task at hand and leaves us open to dangerous possibilities.
\nMarty \u2013 And Wheel Chocks, I see a lot of wheel chocks or tire blocks being used, or suppose to be being used in the various yards. I myself knocked a trailer loose and had it roll a bit forward with me upon entering it with a forklift once, can\u2019t even describe that sensation! I had relied on another person to check the wheel chocks, that was the last time I ever relied on anyone else, I always checked them myself going forward. I\u2019ve actually seen trailers push forward enough to break the landing gear up front and the trailers nose landed on the ground. I really like the newer locking mechanisms we...