Our guide to choosing the vehicle restraints for your loading bays

Published on 27 November 2018

Modified on 28 March 2023

Home » Our guide to choosing the vehicle restraints for your loading bays

The Kopron vehicle restraints represent a further step in research for safety of vehicles docked at loading bays during loading/unloading operations. These loading bay equipments were conceived to guarantee and reinforce the security of loading sistems and people’s safety by limiting risks of accidents that generally occur during transshipment begins.

Our guide to choosing the vehicle restraints for your loading bays

The 6 major risks during loading and unloading operations

Kopron ensures a ‘turn-key’ service in full observance of an integrated design with the loading bay. The vehicle restraints represent a further step forward for safety of vehicles and people during the loading/unloading operations. Their function is to avoid any accidental movement of the vehicle which would create danger for people handling the goods. The loading dock safety system helps to prevent any danger for the cargo handlers by integrating with the door and the dock leveler.

Below, we find out what are the 6 major risks, that might arise in fatal risks, due to the lack of such systems.

RISKS OF NON-INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE LOADING BAY AND THE VEHICLE RESTRAINT SYSTEM

RISK 1: The bay operator falls from the dock.

SOLUTION: The integration between vehicle restraints and loading bays prevents the accidental door opening and/or activation of the dock leveler.

RISK 2: Fall of the forklift in circulation on the loading dock.

SOLUTION: The integration between vehicle restraints and loading bays prevents the accidental door opening and/or activation of the dock leveler.

RISK 3: The operator’s head remains squeezed between the door jamb and the truck during the docking operation.

SOLUTION: The integration between vehicle restraints and loading bays prevents that the operator leans over from the door to guide the driver’s maneuver.

RISK 4: Fall of the forklift during loading and unloading for the departure of the truck.

SOLUTION: The integration between vehicle restraints and loading bays prevents the progressive movement of the lorry or unexpected departure of the truck due to miscommunication.

RISKS OF THE OPERATOR BEING CRUSHED OR GETTING HIT

RISK 5: The operator remains crushed between two trucks.

SOLUTION: The risk of being crushed or getting hit is avoided by easy line guides that maintain the gap between trucks docked at the loading bays. These are installed together with the vehicle restraints.

RISK 6: The operator remains crushed between the truck and the loading dock.
SOLUTION: The risk of being crushed or getting hit is reduced thanks to vehicle restraints, not requiring the physical presence of an operator to guide the driver’s maneuver. The positioning of the truck at the loading bay is through traffic light and guides.

Main advantages of loading dock safety systems

Thanks to the automatic or manual vehicle restraints, the truck approaching in reverse is totally immobilized. In this way, the forklift driver is allowed to position the dock leveler and loading-unloading operations can be proceed in safety. After that, the bay operator closes the sectional door or barrier and puts the dock leveler in rest position, allowing the lorry to leave.

IMMOBILIZE ALL TYPES OF TRAILERS

The Vehicle restraints guarantee a total immobilization of the truck, reinforcing the security of loading systems and people’s safety. Among various advantages, the Kopron vehicle restrains:

Are simple and reliable
Make the operation automatic and safety
Can be installed in any conditions (new buildings, existing levelers and wheel guides, …)
Require a simple maintenance
Movement are synchronised with the loading bay door

Differences between Kopron vehicle restraints

Kopron proposes three models with automatic vehicle restraint system, K-AUTOBLOCK, K1-CALEMATIC and K2-CALEMATIC, and one model with manual vehicle restraint, K-EASYBLOCK.

K-AUTOBLOCK

The K-AUTOBLOCK allows the operator to block the vehicle at dock before the transhipment begins, and to release the vehicle once the transshipment is complete by simply pressing push buttons on the control cabinet. A signalization system by two-tone lights (for the driver) and by LED lights (for the operator) enables a simplified use for each participant.

AUTOMATICEXTERNALINTEGRATED WITH THE DOCK LEVELER AND THE DOOR

K1-CALEMATIC

The new K1-CALEMATIC system represents an automatic and efficient solution for safety of vehicles and people during loading-unloading operations. Easy to use, K1-CALEMATIC guarantees the truck immobilization during loading and unloading operations, avoiding unexpected departures or movements. This system consists of 2 parallel pits per loading bay, on the two sides of the trucks, in which 1 row of single wheel chocks is installed for each pit. The truck is locked thanks to the pneumatic lifting of the chocks near the wheels. In this way, any accidental movement of the vehicle is avoided.

2 PARALLEL PITS5 O 6 SINGLE WHEEL CHOCKS FOR EACH PITAUTOMATICINTEGRATED WITH THE DOCK LEVELER AND THE DOOR

K2-CALEMATIC

The K2-CALEMATIC automatic system represents a further step forward for safety of vehicles and people during the loading/unloading operations. Easy to use, K2-CALEMATIC guarantess a safe and continuous function and is at the forefront when it comes to comply with standards in force. This prevent the sudden exit of the truck anchored to the dock leveler. This system consists of 1 pit per loading bay, that works on one side of the truck, in which 2 rows of shifted wheel chocks are installed. The truck is locked thanks to the pneumatic lifting of the chocks near the wheels. In this way, any accidental movement of the vehicle is avoided.

1 PIT5 O 6 DOUBLE WHEEL CHOCKS FOR EACH PITAUTOMATICINTEGRATED WITH THE DOCK LEVELER AND THE DOOR

K-EASYBLOCK

The K-EASYBLOCK is a manual vehicle restraint system, very simple to use for safe loading/unloading operations, that stays mechanically locked, until the transhipment procedure is complete. Once the truck is positioned on the loading bay, the driver applies the blocking device behind the wheels. Before leaving, driver will pull away the blocking device, and external lights will turn green. In case driver accidentally pulls away the blocking device when dock leveller is not yet in idle position, he will be alerted by a safety alarm.

MANUALEXTERNALINTEGRATED WITH THE DOCK LEVELER AND THE DOOR