Essential Forklift Dock Accessories

When we think about forklift accessories, we usually think of forklift attachments to enhance lift truck performance or safety. However, whether in a factory or warehouse, forklifts spend as much time in or around the loading dock as they do at the pallet racks and overlooking dock accessories is overlooking many essential lift truck accessories.

Forklift Dock Boards

Sometimes also called dock plates, a dock board is one lift truck accessory no workplace can do without. Basically, a dock board is like a bridge. Just as bridges allow vehicles to travel over water, ravines and other areas that would otherwise be impassable, dock boards are designed to allow hand trucks and forklifts safe access to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Unlike bridges, dock boards must be portable, but when put in place, they must be stable and immoveable when in use. Simple, yet effective in design and construction, aluminum dock boards fulfill these requirements perfectly.

There are many styles of dock boards available, from light weight models designed for hand trucks to heavy duty dock boards capable of supporting 20,000 lbs of weight. When choosing a dock board, bear in mind its weight capacity, usable width and height differential (level of tilt).

Dock Safety Accessories

One of the cheapest dock accessories you can buy is also one of the most essential. Rubber dock bumpers can easily be attached to forklifts, cranes, tractors, trailers and other equipment that is in frequent danger of causing impact damage. Once attached, dock bumpers rarely need replacement and can save you thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

A glad hand lock is an inexpensive forklift accessory that attaches to the emergency brake connection of a trailer. As long as it remains locked, the brake cannot be unintentionally or deliberately released. Glad hand locks can be individually or identically keyed. If you are purchasing several, you may want them to all work with the same key, to avoid confusion.

A wheel chock safety system ensures that nothing can go wrong on the loading dock. Complete with a 15 foot chain to make sure the chock doesn’t go missing and a safety sign to remind workers to always chock wheels before unloading or loading, this inexpensive dock accessory is worth its weight in gold.

Also take a look at forklift safety signs for placing around your loading dock. For example, a low cost, high visibility “Caution Secure Trailer” safety sign can help prevent the accident so graphically depicted on the sign.

While your crew may know that forklifts are in operation around the loading dock, not everyone who comes into the area may. A “Caution Forklift Traffic” will give them the notice they need and a “Stop and Sound Horn” forklift safety sign will remind forklift operators to use caution in pedestrian areas and in blind spots.

A few inexpensive safety precautions can go a long way towards preventing workplace accidents. When you are browsing forkliftaccessories.com looking for products from our extensive inventory, take a few minutes to check out our docking accessories and safety products. They will add very little to the cost of your order, but a great deal to the safety of your facility.