Loading Dock and Yard Coordination Kit

01 / Walk, discuss and check readiness

Use with the people doing the work: walk the area, discuss the prompts, record actual controls and verify them before exposure. Rebrief when conditions change. If a safeguard is missing or uncertain, pause affected work and contact the responsible person.

Load and location

Confirm the vehicle, trailer, dock or yard position and planned activity with the coordinating person. Review site-specific access restrictions.

Vehicle and pedestrian interface

Identify travel routes, blind areas and exclusion zones. Agree where drivers and pedestrians wait and how movement is communicated.

Vehicle and dock readiness

Have the assigned competent role confirm the applicable vehicle/trailer securing, dock equipment and inspection requirements under approved procedures.

Load and handling method

Consider load stability, damaged packaging, handling capacity and falling material. Resolve uncertainty using the approved handling method and equipment limits.

Operator-driver communication

Who gives the agreed signal and confirms that loading or movement can begin? Identify what happens if communication is lost or another person enters the area.

Departure and shift handover

Confirm the site release process, unresolved issues and receiving person. Cargo securement and transport requirements need their own applicable checks.

Readiness gaps / questions to resolve

02 / Record the task and verify controls

Task, site / work area and date / shiftCrew, coordinating person and other affected peopleApplicable procedures / permits and required authorized rolesTask steps and serious exposure: who could be harmed, and how?Planned controls: what will prevent or reduce that exposure?Site verification: actual condition / evidence, checker and timeUnresolved gaps, responsible person and action due before exposure

03 / Hold, rebrief and hand over

Pause if a person enters the movement area, communication fails, a securing control is uncertain or the load shifts.

Follow employer correction and authorized restart arrangements. Keep affected work on hold while readiness is unresolved.

Hold / change: what happened, when, and which work is affected?Immediate protection and person notified / timeRequired correction or revised method and responsible personRecheck evidence, checker / time and applicable restart authorityWho was rebriefed, what changed and any remaining restrictions?Handover: receiving person, open actions and next reviewCrew learning: what helped the work, what made it difficult?