A sealed facility should start outside the dock. When the dock door is fully open, the facility is potentially exposed to the outside and the elements. Dock seals and shelters are critical to containing cold air and a tight seal on the dock areas.
Dock seals have fabric-covered foam pads that compress when the trailer backs into them, providing a tight seal around the sides of the trailer and sealing off the gaps between the trailer’s door hinges. This prevents air infiltration and potentially moisture from reaching products during loading and unloading that can cause mold to grow. Dock shelters consist of fabric attached to side and head frames to create a canopy around the full perimeter of the trailer and allow unimpeded access to the interior of the trailer.
Keep the trailer snug against the dock. Though largely regarded as a safety device, vehicle restraints can also play an important role in helping seal off the dock doorway during the transportation of consumer food.
To make sure the trailer remains securely and safely against a foam dock seal or tight against a shelter, a vehicle restraint firmly grips the rear impact guard of a trailer. Provided primarily for the safety of the forklift drivers working the loading dock, the restraint secures the trailer more effectively than rubber wheel chocks, preventing trailer creep and premature trailer departure but still releases cleanly when the truck is ready to hit the road on their way to grocery stores, restaurants, and markets.
Keep the dock functions in a row. Most food handling DCs are marvels of technological advances when it comes to conveyors, WMS, forklifts, and picking systems. The loading dock and all of its equipment plays an energy savings and contamination blocking role, but if the equipment is not deployed correctly, the dock can be left exposed to the outside.
Master control panels tie all of the functions at the dock together in a pre-specified order. Programming ensures that the dock door is not opened until the truck trailer is parked at the dock and secured by the restraint. The restraint will not release the trailer until the door is fully closed. These controls simplify operation to ensure proper sequence and that the perimeter is sealed and secured.
A food DC or production facility employing the proper dock equipment can keep goods flowing through the supply chain while preventing cold air from exiting the building and debris, dirt, and pathogen carrying pests from entering the building causing a potential for contamination.
Brittingham is the manager of marketing communications for Serco Entrematic. Reach him at 972-323-6730.
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