Company Rite Hite Rite-Hite Corporation Identifies Key Loading Dock Safety, Productivity and Profitability Issue; Introduces the Industry’s First Smooth Transition Dok System Rite-Hite Corporation today launched an awareness campaign to call attention to dock shock and trailer drop – two issues that pose a serious health safety risk and adversely affect the productivity of virtually every facility with a loading dock. The company also marked a major milestone in the materials handling industry with the introduction of the Smooth Transition Dok System, a family of products consisting of vehicle restraints and loading dock levelers that represent the first dock system designed specifically to minimize problems associated with dock shock and trailer drop. Dock shock and trailer drop describe the jarring and jolting that lift truck and standup walkie operators encounter as they transfer materials within a facility’s shipping/receiving/staging area and move in and out of semi-trailer trucks. According to Kyle Nelson, Rite-Hite Corporation Vice President, New Business and Product Development, dock shock and trailer drop have existed since the original union between lift trucks and loading dock equipment. However, he said, recent trends dictated the need to address the issue. “For decades, companies have viewed lift truck jarring and jolting as something they had to live with,” Nelson said. “But, there is growing concern worldwide about lift truck operator safety and the need to avoid chronic spinal-related injuries caused by vibration. Additionally, companies are always looking for ways to make their dock a more productive and profitable working environment. Based on these factors, we made it our mission to be the first loading dock equipment company to isolate the problem and develop a solution.” Identifying the issues Rite-Hite’s research into dock shock and trailer drop dates to 2001 when its customers began to raise concerns about the impact of jarring and jolting during the trailer loading and unloading process. Concerns ranged from product and loading dock equipment damage to safety issues. Safety concerns center primarily on the fact that vibration results in musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and back, as well as the hand and arm. In addition to chronic injuries, it is also known to cause operator fatigue. To address vibration issues at the loading dock, many facility decision-makers have turned to lift truck manufacturers and suppliers. The forklift industry, in turn, responded with a number of innovations designed to minimize vibration. Yet serious problems associated with jarring and jolting remained largely unsolved, despite efforts by the forklift industry to address the issue and numerous studies that show it poses a chronic, long-term safety risk. The problem also gained the attention of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which issued various guidelines for vibration exposure levels, and the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. “As we began to explore the issue, we discovered that forklift manufacturers alone cannot solve the problem,” said Rite-Hite Corporation Vice President of Marketing Joe Manone. “That fact, combined with our customer-centric focus, drove us to take a closer look at the dynamics of the loading dock and take action.” Discovering the solution Rite-Hite’s research and analyses showed jarring occurs when a lift truck (stand-up walkie or forklift) crosses between the warehouse floor and the trailer bed due to the bumps and gaps that exist on traditional dock levelers. Rite-Hite uses the term, dock shock, to describe the phenomena. Dock shock is a source of vibration, which is known to pose a serious health safety risk. Whole Body Vibration (WBV) and intermittent vibration are growing concerns worldwide. Rite-Hite also analyzed the trailer loading and unloading process, which showed that trailer beds move vertically, or “drop,” due to the weight of lift trucks traveling in and out of unstable trailers. The problem, which Rite-Hite describes as trailer drop, is often severe when trailers with air-ride suspension systems are involved. Trailer drop causes lift truck operators to experience significant jolts, which can lead to chronic back and neck injuries. According to Manone, Rite-Hite engineers determined that key modifications in the company’s leveler design could minimize the jarring at key transition points. The company also looked to improve the design of vehicle restraints, which the company invented in the 1980s. Rite-Hite officials determined that a new restraint design would significantly minimize trailer drop. Years of product development led to the Smooth Transition Dok System. The system includes the Rite-Hite line of hydraulic, air-powered and mechanical loading dock levelers that create a smooth transition between the warehouse floor and leveler. It also includes the STR-4000 Dok-Lok vehicle restraint, which is the only restraint of its kind that stabilizes vertical trailer movement. The restraint also greatly minimizes the potential for a number of catastrophic accidents. Validating results To validate the levelers’ ability to minimize dock shock, Rite-Hite tested its leveler line using the ISO2631/1 standard. The test results were measured against Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, which is the most stringent guideline available for vibration exposure in the workplace. The testing showed that Rite-Hite levelers reduce dock shock by 50 percent when compared with standard levelers under the same conditions. Rite-Hite followed equally rigorous methodology to validate the STR-4000 vehicle restraint’s ability to minimize trailer drop. The tests, which involved the use of a Linear Velocity Displacement Transducer (LVDT) measurement device, showed the restraint can reduce trailer drop by as much as 300 percent when compared with standard vehicle restraints under the same conditions. In addition to internal testing, Rite-Hite installed the Smooth Transition Dok System at numerous customer beta sites in a wide range of industries for nearly two years to assess its level of performance in real-world applications. “The hard data alone provides clear evidence that a smooth transition dock system greatly reduces dock shock and trailer drop and the problems they create,” said Nelson. “In addition, the qualitative data we’ve gathered from beta sites is very favorable, which is a solid indication of how this new technology fulfills a significant need in the marketplace.” Nelson encouraged facility decision-makers to take a close look at their loading dock situation and learn more about dock shock and trailer drop. For more information, visit www.ritehite.com. “These issues are gaining recognition and it’s the employer’s responsibility to control the environment where lift trucks operate,” Nelson said. “Given the importance of employee safety, as well as the adverse affect it can have on productivity and profitability, it’s important that decision-makers are aware of these issues, as well as a solution that allows them to design the problem out of the process.”