Ontario Ministry of Labour inspectors will be visiting all industry sectors
"With bursts of intense activity in which people, motorized equipment and goods are moving around, and trucks are coming and going, these areas can be one of the workplace's greatest concentrations of risk," said John Aird, manager of industry relations for Workplace Safety and Prevention Services.
Loading docks and shipping areas contain the four highest hazard priorities for Ontario's prevention system: contact with machinery, motor vehicle incidents, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and slips, trips and falls, said Aird.
Inspectors may be keeping an eye out for these and other potential hazards:
- vehicles unsecured against accidental movement
- an absence of signalers or signalers who are not fulfilling their duties
- pedestrian traffic hazards, with the movement of vehicles in and out, and other mobile equipment; this would include clearances, lighting, barriers and warning signs
- floor and ground surfaces, making sure there is no accumulation of garbage, no tripping hazards, ice, snow or uneven surfaces
- related hazards, such as falls, lifting devices and forklifts, conveyors, material handling from heights, hazardous chemicals, flammable and explosive substances, personal protective equipment, guarding and lockout
- items unsecured against tipping or falling.
The blitz was triggered in part by continuing fatalities among workers on or near loading docks. Recent incidents include workers being pinned between trucks and docks, being struck by moving vehicles, and by falling items, including dock plates and workers falling from loading docks during material handling activities.
