Loading Dock Safety Focus of Safety Blitz

• Issued: February 1, 2011
• Content last reviewed: February 2011

See also: Backgrounder | Poster [ 223 Kb ]

Ontario will launch a heightened enforcement focus related to hazards in shipping and receiving areas, including loading docks, as part of an ongoing campaign to increase safety in workplaces.

Ministry of Labour inspectors will visit industrial and healthcare workplaces in February 2011. They will focus on hazards involving:

• Positioning and securing of vehicles, including checking that vehicles are immobilized and secured against accidental movement
• Loading and unloading activities, including checking for hazards involving material handling equipment, fall hazards, and manual material handling that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
• Entry and exit of transport vehicles, including checking for traffic hazards affecting pedestrians and the general work environment

The blitz is a part of the government’s Safe At Work Ontario strategy. Safe workplaces lead to increased productivity for businesses and result in less strain on the health care system.

Quote

“Workers face a variety of high-risk hazards in shipping and receiving areas of workplaces. Our government is taking steps to prevent these types of injuries and deaths. Workers have the right to return home safe and sound to their families at the end of each day.”
—Charles Sousa, Minister of Labour

Quick facts

• Ontario has 430 occupational health and safety inspector positions.
• Between January 1, 2000 and October 31, 2010, 15 workers died in incidents involving shipping and receiving areas, including loading docks.

Learn more

Read more about Ontario’s Safe at Work Ontario strategy to improve workplace safety.