A leading warehousing and distribution company operates a major facility in Birmingham. The warehouse includes multiple dock levellers used daily for loading and unloading goods from trailers. These dock levellers are critical for maintaining the efficiency of the logistics operations.
The Incident
In January 2023, a slip accident occurred on one of the dock levellers. An employee, while unloading goods from a truck, slipped and fell, resulting in a fractured wrist. This incident raised immediate safety concerns among the workforce and management.
Initial Response
Following the accident, Site safety management conducted an internal investigation to identify the cause of the slip. Preliminary findings suggested that the dock leveller surface might have inadequate slip resistance, particularly when wet or covered with debris.
Recognising the need for a thorough assessment, they decided to engage a professional slip testing company, Nationwide Slip Testing Ltd, to evaluate the slip resistance of their dock levellers.
The objectives were:
- To determine the current slip resistance levels
- To identify any specific areas with heightened risk
- To recommend measures to improve safety
Testing Procedure
Nationwide Slip Testing employed the following methodology for the slip resistance testing:
- Visual Inspection: A preliminary visual inspection was conducted to identify obvious issues such as surface wear, contamination, or damage
- Slip Resistance Testing: Using a Pendulum Test machine, the industry-standard method for measuring slip resistance, Nationwide tested multiple points in various directions on each dock leveller.
- Condition Simulation: Tests were conducted in both dry and wet ‘as found’ conditions to simulate different operational scenarios and then cleaned and restested to make sure all conditions were covered.
- Data Analysis: The results were analyzed to assess compliance with current safety standards. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines, a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) of 36 or above indicates a low slip risk potential.
Findings
The testing revealed the following key points:
- Dry Conditions: All dock levellers had acceptable slip resistance values with PTVs ranging from 40 to 65.
- Wet Conditions: Slip resistance significantly dropped on several dock levellers, with PTVs falling between 20 and 25, indicating a high slip risk potential.
- Wear and Tear: Some dock levellers showed signs of surface wear, contributing to the reduced slip resistance.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, Nationwide provided several recommendations:
- Surface Treatment: Apply a high-friction coating to the high risk dock levellers to improve slip resistance, particularly in wet conditions.
- Regular Maintenance: Implement a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule to prevent the build-up of contaminants that could reduce slip resistance.
- Employee Training: Conduct training sessions to educate employees on the importance of maintaining clean and dry dock levellers and reporting any hazards immediately.
- Additional Safety Measures: Consider installing a high-friction coating to all the dock levelers and provide better anti-slip footwear for employees with regular checks to the footwear to make sure they continue to perform as they should.
Implementation & Results
The Logistics company promptly acted on the recommendations:
- High-friction coatings were applied to all dock levellers.
- A stringent cleaning and maintenance regime was implemented.
- Employee training sessions were conducted, focusing on hazard awareness and prevention.
- Regular replacement of safety footwear for all operatives in the warehouse.
Subsequent testing by Nationwide confirmed a significant improvement in slip resistance, with all dock levellers achieving PTVs above 45 in both dry and wet conditions.
Conclusion
The proactive approach taken by the Logistics company in engaging Nationwide Slip Testing for their slip testing and implementing their recommendations not only enhanced the safety of their dock levellers but also reinforced their commitment to employee welfare. Since the intervention, there have been no further slip incidents reported, proving the effectiveness of the measures taken.
This case highlights the importance of regular slip resistance testing and maintenance in preventing workplace accidents and ensuring a safe working environment in industrial settings.