Winter seems to have set in earlier this year in Michigan and the rest of the northern U.S. and Canada. We’ve already had snowdrifts and poorly shoveled or plowed driveways and parking lots. For most people that’s a challenge getting to and from work and running their Christmas errands, but for warehouse workers and truckers, it’s more complicated than that. Every job or task has the potential to go sideways in a dangerous way. Let’s go through some of the potential safety problems that winter creates for them.
- Ice and snow makes everything slippery – Slick surfaces make both walking and driving a forklift much more dangerous. Because workers don’t like being cold or wet, they are more likely to rush doing their jobs and ignore or forget safety precautions.
- Cold is debilitating and protective clothing makes working more difficult – Not only does being cold and wet make workers more vulnerable to illness, it also exacerbates other conditions like arthritis and asthma. In very cold weather, the kinds of clothing that workers must wear for protection, such as padded gloves or headgear, hampers dexterity and limits their vision. All of that leads to more mistakes being made.
- Dock equipment freezes – Cold and rain do damage to equipment as well, causing it to become slower or break over time. Freezing and thawing are hard on electronic components, particularly when it exposes them to water.
What kinds of dock equipment can help mitigate exposure to the elements? High-speed roll-up doors help keep the outside out and the inside in because they open and close so quickly – up to 130” per second. They also help minimize heating and cooling costs for the same reason.
Dock shelters form an umbrella of protection between trailer and warehouse, keeping the water and snow from reaching either workers or product.
Trailer restraints help keep the trailer from shifting or rolling. When an automated trailer restraint system is incorporated into a loading/unloading procedure, it will minimize accidents
This winter, make increased safety your Christmas present to your employees. Whether that means installing new devices or better equipment or implementing procedures as well as checks to make sure they are being done, keeping your employees safe and healthy is a sound investment in your business.
Beuschel Sales would like to thank our customers for their business this year and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and all the best – health, safety, comfort, and success – in the upcoming 2023.