Moisture in the air, weather lashing into your building during times of loading all lead to wet slick floors and on the loading dock this is a very dangerous combination. Safety statistics suggest that 25% of all accidents result from falls that occur on or around the loading dock. So it’s not surprise that dock operators, supply chain managers and the like all share one common objective, safety! Keeping your dock floors dry is imperative where safety is concerned. There are ways to help achieve a dry floor that are both safer and more productive for foot and motor traffic. Let’s take a look at a few:
Serco high-volume low-speed fan
No. 1 HVLS Fans
HVLS fans are an energy smart solution that moves massive amounts of air, sound good? It should, especially when you hear that this fan offers a reduction in perceived temperature equivalent to 7 to 11 degrees. This fan was designed to help keep employees’ cool and comfortable when first breaking into the material handling market in the mid-1990s. Today Serco industrial HVLS fans have also proven effective at reducing moisture in the air and therefore condensation on floors.
Turbo-ES™ fan from APS
No. 2: The Turbo-ES™ Fan
There are of course those rare applications where an HVLS cannot be installed, maybe due to low head room clearance or perhaps you only have one person at a work station.
The Turbo-ES Fan uses a powerful motor to direct fresh air down isles or other tight spaces dispersing harmful fumes or keeping an area fresher and insect free. It is also ideal for the loading dock, circulating fresh air inside trailers. This thermally protected fan prevents overheating and is easily maneuvered using the easy grip handle so you can aim Turbo-ES’s continuous stream of air exactly where it’s needed.
The Serco HINGE GUARD™ Dock Shelter System
No. 3: HINGE GUARD™
The third and final means of keeping your loading dock area dry doesn’t involve a fan but covers an area traditionally missed when sealing off your dock. A conventional dock shelter offers full trailer access, however, when a trailer’s doors are opened for loading or unloading a series of gaps are created between the trailer hinges. These hinge gaps are substantial and allow weather to enter the facility and precious cooled-conditioned air to escape, increasing risk of spoilage and increasing energy costs.
A dock shelter system (HINGE GUARD) begins to work as soon as a trailer reverses into the dock and is automatically activated by the backing trailer by grasping the sides of the trailer and covering the hinge gaps. It offers a consistent seal, full and unrestricted access to the trailer interior and gives way to ultimate energy savings without any interference to loading.
Reducing Moisture Takes Planning
Plan ahead for moisture control, and by introducing the above solutions into your equipment mix, it’s possible to increase energy savings and help avoid unnecessary accidents caused by wet dock floors.