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Docksteward

Docksteward

Teamsters Local 71
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According to management most RDWY docks use flags attached to the dock to signal the switchers when a trailer is ready to move. At 671 several close calls have happened when a trailer has been pulled away from the dock and the workers are still in it!! I wanted RDWY to go back to the old way where the switcher actually walks to the rear of the trailer to see if it is ready to move. At this rate someone is going to get fired, seriously hurt, or worse. Is anyone else having these problems?? Nobody likes the idea of a trailer being pulled out with a forklift hanging out the back!! Something needs to be done.:duh: DS.
 
D.S.

even with the dock flags, it's always a good idea to check the back of a trailer before pulling it from the dock. Most of our docks have a chain attached to the flag, but some are broken and the flag gets wedged into position and sometimes the supes forget to drop the flag if no chains are attached.
 
Different Ways

There Are Several Different Ways To Prevent An Early Out And You Proably Already Know Them.the Thing Is ,it's Got To Be Done Before Somebody Is Killed.at O.d. The Switcher Checks The Back Of The Trailer.if He Dumps Somebody,he's Fired.real Simple.check A Few Forklift Safety Websites Out.you Won't Believe How Many Workers Get Killed Every Year By An Early Out.
 
Thanks Animo and Jim Bob........RDWY is telling us NOT to go to the rear of the trailer unless you have a move on the door and the flag is not raised....someone is going to get killed here. We have cables at 671. They get kinked and hang on the side of the building. In my opinion, RDWY is risking safety in order to be more effecient :nutkick: , there has to be a better, safer way. Has anyone every filed a complaint over this?? DS.
 
At terminal 123 (Newburgh NY) we are in Yellows Breakbulk in Maybrook and they have BIG convex mirrors between doors so you can see that the trailer doors are closed from the tractor or switcher. They also use the chains with reflective tape on the ends so you can see if chain is up.
 
Docksteward said:
Thanks Animo and Jim Bob........RDWY is telling us NOT to go to the rear of the trailer unless you have a move on the door and the flag is not raised....someone is going to get killed here. We have cables at 671. They get kinked and hang on the side of the building. In my opinion, RDWY is risking safety in order to be more effecient :nutkick: , there has to be a better, safer way. Has anyone every filed a complaint over this?? DS.
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Reminds me of a time I was at Yellow and they told us we were not to get too involved with pretrip, just a quick look at the lights and tire kick, don't bend over and look close at anything, geez.........
 
Yellow in STL has the big convex mirrors too. They were put up years ago as the way to keep dock spotters in the horse but able to see that the doors were closed.
 
stldude44 said:
Yellow in STL has the big convex mirrors too. They were put up years ago as the way to keep dock spotters in the horse but able to see that the doors were closed.
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Kinda scares ya when they do things the "right way".:biglaugh:
 
We've had that system at 313 for about 1 year now. We also have had close calls, the relay mngr puts in a hook before the dock is ready for it. To flags that stick to the curtains even when the chain is dropped. Drivers pulling wrong doors. Broken chains so flag isn't up (however we don't pull it then}.
It all comes down to another Rdwy idea of increasing speed and productivity while unfortunately raising safety concerns.
 
TheBigR said:
Kinda scares ya when they do things the "right way".:biglaugh:
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Yes, it does.........I'm sure you paid little or no attention to the hurry up with the pre-tripping suggestion, right?
 
Docksteward said:
According to management most RDWY docks use flags attached to the dock to signal the switchers when a trailer is ready to move. At 671 several close calls have happened when a trailer has been pulled away from the dock and the workers are still in it!! I wanted RDWY to go back to the old way where the switcher actually walks to the rear of the trailer to see if it is ready to move. At this rate someone is going to get fired, seriously hurt, or worse. Is anyone else having these problems?? Nobody likes the idea of a trailer being pulled out with a forklift hanging out the back!! Something needs to be done.:duh: DS.
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We have had a couple of forklifts go off the dock here in Akron. One yesterday and a close call yesterday, guy backed out of the trailer and as soon as his tires hit the dock the trailer pulled out. The one that went off the dock the guy jumped clear and let the forklift fall to the ground without him. So far the 3 or 4 times this has happend since the flags were installed no one has been hurt, just needed to change their shorts. The biggest problem we have is some of the flags stick in the upright position and when relay puts the move on the screen from upstairs without knowing if the trailer is ready the switcher pulls the trailer. It in my opinion is a problem with relay managers not waiting for the dockman to finish his job. They need to do this in a different way or someone is going to end up dead.
 
211Dockman said:
We have had a couple of forklifts go off the dock here in Akron. One yesterday and a close call yesterday, guy backed out of the trailer and as soon as his tires hit the dock the trailer pulled out. The one that went off the dock the guy jumped clear and let the forklift fall to the ground without him. So far the 3 or 4 times this has happend since the flags were installed no one has been hurt, just needed to change their shorts. The biggest problem we have is some of the flags stick in the upright position and when relay puts the move on the screen from upstairs without knowing if the trailer is ready the switcher pulls the trailer. It in my opinion is a problem with relay managers not waiting for the dockman to finish his job. They need to do this in a different way or someone is going to end up dead.
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So a guy jumped off the forklift before it hit the ground? Good for him. Now lets hope his TM doesn't overanylize this and decide to give him a letter for not wearing his seatbelt on the forklift. :duh:
 
211Dockman said:
We have had a couple of forklifts go off the dock here in Akron. One yesterday and a close call yesterday, guy backed out of the trailer and as soon as his tires hit the dock the trailer pulled out. The one that went off the dock the guy jumped clear and let the forklift fall to the ground without him. So far the 3 or 4 times this has happend since the flags were installed no one has been hurt, just needed to change their shorts. The biggest problem we have is some of the flags stick in the upright position and when relay puts the move on the screen from upstairs without knowing if the trailer is ready the switcher pulls the trailer. It in my opinion is a problem with relay managers not waiting for the dockman to finish his job. They need to do this in a different way or someone is going to end up dead.
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Why in GOD'S name don't we just put a set of lights up at each door?
Simple enough! Red means stop & Green means, Well you get my drift right?
It means that someone on the dock would have to throw a switch to Green to let the Switcher know the door is shut.
Most all of the Warehouses (Home Depot, Target, Puke OPPS! I mean Wal-Mart) Not only have the signels but also some type of locking device that holds the Trailer in place until a geen light is given.
It might cost REX & YELLOW a few bucks but It would be worth the lives saved. And for the REX Beancounters who could care less about a Dockworkers safety consider this. How much will it cost to repair that precious forklift at Akron? And how many lights would that have bought? HEY! It's a safety device right? Ain't that a tax writeoff? Hell it might even impress OSHA!
 
metroman said:
Why in GOD'S name don't we just put a set of lights up at each door?
Simple enough! Red means stop & Green means, Well you get my drift right?
It means that someone on the dock would have to throw a switch to Green to let the Switcher know the door is shut.
Most all of the Warehouses (Home Depot, Target, Puke OPPS! I mean Wal-Mart) Not only have the signels but also some type of locking device that holds the Trailer in place until a geen light is given.
It might cost REX & YELLOW a few bucks but It would be worth the lives saved. And for the REX Beancounters who could care less about a Dockworkers safety consider this. How much will it cost to repair that precious forklift at Akron? And how many lights would that have bought? HEY! It's a safety device right? Ain't that a tax writeoff? Hell it might even impress OSHA!
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Well spoken there metroman. Some of the dock guys have kicked around the idea of red and green lights. I think someone at OSHA and AGO need to know how big of a problem they have created in their strive for better production numbers. Maybe some emails need to go to Ohio and Kansas to open some eyes of the big wheels!! I hope some greivences are being filed at these terminals to bring attenion to the safety problems, that by the way, we didn't have until this system was put into place!!:duh: DS.
 
Thats fine metroman untill someone forgets to throw the switch to red.Here at 107 every trailer must have a wheel chock when dropped in a door.So that means when somebody pulls a trailer wether it's a driver or switcher he has to walk back there to kick out the chock and in which time he peeks under to see if the plate is still in the trailer!I know it's a pain in the ass for the switcher but,it my be the best way to do it!
 
Moparman said:
Thats fine metroman untill someone forgets to throw the switch to red.Here at 107 every trailer must have a wheel chock when dropped in a door.So that means when somebody pulls a trailer wether it's a driver or switcher he has to walk back there to kick out the chock and in which time he peeks under to see if the plate is still in the trailer!I know it's a pain in the ass for the switcher but,it my be the best way to do it!
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There has got to be a better way to do this. I'm not sure how the system works at the big Warehouses but if the light is red then the trailer is locked into place. To relese the trailer someone in a central location (Stacking formans desk or the dock shack) has to push a button to turn the light Green.
However it is done it has to be better than the system now in place.
 
Rude and intrude

Fellows,I am not trying to be rude and intrude on your forum but you are dealing with what could be a life or death problem here.The first 20 years I worked on a dock I was pulled out in the yard 3 times.No major injuries.Young and lucky.I know someone that got their back broke on an early out.If you can't make things safer,let that man that drives the car we're putting gas in come look at it,he'll make it safe.Get my drift ??
 
JIM BOB said:
Fellows,I am not trying to be rude and intrude on your forum but you are dealing with what could be a life or death problem here.The first 20 years I worked on a dock I was pulled out in the yard 3 times.No major injuries.Young and lucky.I know someone that got their back broke on an early out.If you can't make things safer,let that man that drives the car we're putting gas in come look at it,he'll make it safe.Get my drift ??
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Hey Jim Bob........there are no fences here, jump right in. I agree with the severity of this problem. We deal with a company that has a problem taking responsibility for problems they create. This was supposed to be a new company wide way of doing things that would speed up switching. The selling point to the dock workers was, "Yellow does it"!?! Well RDWY tried it and it's dangerous. I suppose it will take someone getting hurt badly before RDWY will stand down with the "It's our procedure and we aren't going to change it" attitude. Corprate ordered it, and we will follow, blindly, with no alternate plan if it doesn't work! :chairshot: DS.
 
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