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Washington Category: Employee Safety
Loading docks make great access points for companies that have warehouses. While these access points are a necessity, they also incur inherent security risks that can leave a company vulnerable to unauthorized entrances and vandalism.
There are many preventative solutions that businesses and commercial properties can employ, including maintaining the security of your warehouse doors, installing a dock leveler seal, and using landing gear.
Maintain Equipment
Broken warehouse doors, weak panels, and broken windows are an invitation to unauthorized entry. Repairs at entry points should be a priority for any business owner, even if the damage seems minimal.
Keep Doors Closed
Employees working in loading docks are notorious for leaving warehouse doors and gates open during hours of operation. An optional portable scissor gate will allow you to keep your door open and secure the area.
Dock Leveler Seals
Dock seals create a barrier for outside elements and people to see inside the warehouse. Some companies have dock leveler seals for sanitary and security reasons. If a truck needs to park in the bay, the doors can stay open while the gap between them is sealed.
Require Lock-Landing Gear
A company can take extra precaution with delivered trailers by requiring landing locks. When drivers arrive at an unattended dock and lower the landing gear, they should secure the equipment with a lock to prevent an unauthorized driver from hooking up and driving away with property they do not own.
Without proper security measures in place, goods can leave without the knowledge or consent of the owners. By making safety improvements to docks and warehouse doors, a business reduces loss.
If you are looking for alternative information about loading docks and keeping your entrance secure, Vortex is here to help! As a family owned and operated business since 1937, Vortex is committed to providing you a fast and thorough response to your needs. Vortex offers entrance door repairs, warehouse door installations, fire door installations, ADA compliance inspections and low-cost preventive maintenance inspections. For more information, contact Vortex Doors online or call 800-698-6783.
Category: Employee Safety
The first line of defense against burglars breaking into your building is using a strong door with a good lock. However, there are other things you can do to make your property safe and less attractive to burglars. Here are five things you can do to deter would-be burglars from breaking into your building.
1. Use Timers for Your Lights
Purchase timers for the lights in your building. Set the timers to turn the lights on and off at different times when you are closed. The lights going on and off will give the impression that a security guard or someone else is moving around inside the building. If a burglar is watching, they will think twice about trying to break into the building if they think someone is inside and will move on.
2. Pay Attention to Landscaping
Burglars like to hide behind small trees and bushes when breaking into a building. The coverage allows them to hide from neighbors and people passing by as they break or jimmy open a window. Remove any trees or bushes from in front of windows and doors to eliminate any potential hiding spots. Replace the trees and bushes with low-lying plants that will give the exterior of your business an attractive appearance while providing an extra level of security.
3. Install Security Signs and Dummy Cameras
Security system signs are highly effective for scaring off burglars. A potential thief has no way of knowing if the sign was planted as part of a legitimate security installation. Dummy cameras can have the same effect. If you can’t afford actual surveillance cameras, you can outfit the perimeter of your building with inexpensive dummy cameras that look just like the real thing, complete with blinking lights and security company insignia. Crooks can’t tell if the camera is legitimate, and they’ll usually proceed to a less risky target.
4. Don’t Advertise Your Belongings
Don’t leave valuable items out in the open, on trucks in the parking lot, or in plain sight along the side of the building. Keep things like copper wire and equipment safely locked up. You should also be mindful of what types of valuables are visible through your front windows.
5. Security Gates
Installing a security gate on your property is a good way to deter burglars and mischief. With a security gate, you can limit your entrances and exits to one or two distinct places and have a peace of mind that your belongings are securely locked in. There are a wide variety of security gates that can be made to have a decorative look and enhance the appearance of your building while providing an extra level of protection against burglars. Remember, burglars look for opportunities. Your job is to make your building look like a bad opportunity. This is easy to do; it just requires a bit of planning and preparation.
If you are looking for alternative ways to secure your business, Vortex is here to help. As a family owned and operated business since 1937, Vortex is committed to providing you with a fast and thorough response to your needs. Vortex offers entrance door repairs, warehouse door installations, fire door installations, ADA compliance inspections and low cost preventive maintenance inspections. For more information, contact Vortex Doors online or call 800-698-6783.
Category: Employee SafetyEnsuring employee safety at all times within the work place is a top priority for most all companies today. When you are working around motor operated doors and have the responsibility of managing employees, maintaining their safety can be done by implementing a few tips in the workplace to minimize any potential risk. The more aware you are of how to manage safety procedures whenever you are around motor operated warehouse doors, the less likely you or any of your employees are to become injured.
Read and Review Safety Manuals
Before you begin implementing any new safety rules around your workplace, be sure to thoroughly read and review all safety manuals that are provided with the type of motor operators you work around each day. Creating copies of the manuals is another way to share and distribute the information within various departments and locations of your place of work easily.
Post Tips and Procedures in Public Locations
Create bold and colorful outlines on sheets of paper to ensure safety tips for your employees any time they are working around the motor operated doors in the workplace. Be sure to post safety tips and instructions in each location where a motor operated hangar is present, in multiple spots if possible. The more visible your safety tips are to your employees, the less likely you are to encounter an accident.
Call a Mandatory Meeting
Calling a mandatory meeting is also advisable when implementing new safety tips into the workplace and guiding employees on how to prevent injuries when surrounded by motor operated doors. Hosting a meeting also ensures you have provided your employees with adequate information to keep your company less liable in any injury case.
Create a Buddy System
Create a buddy system in the workplace, requiring two or more employees to operate the motor operated door before entering or exiting the building. Having a buddy system in place can reduce accidents and errors when managing the hangars themselves.
Maintaining employee safety around motor operated doors not only ensures you are keeping all risk of potential injury at a minimum, but it also allows you to create a safe work environment for your employees to feel comfortable in. Providing your employees with the proper guides, tools and resources to stay safe in all conditions regardless of the number of motor operated warehouse doors you are around is a way to make a workplace that is genuinely desirable and protected.
For more information about employee safety, contact Vortex Doors or give us a call at 800-698-6783.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Category: Employee Safety
