A new dock leveller platform hinged lip design: the level of vibration and shock reduction obtained

The gap between truck trailers and logistic platforms is of primary importance for electric pallet-truck (EPT) drivers exposed to whole-body vibration. INRS French Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases has developed an experimental protocol to calculate a score representative of the severity of ground roughness. This allows better characterising the coverings of connection equipment (i.e. dock-levellers). The score is obtained by driving an EPT over the irregularities while recording data from accelerometers placed above the driving wheel.
This protocol was also used to assess the efficiency of prototype treatment solutions proposed by INRS to lessen irregularity effects in the loading dock area (LDA). In addition, a new design of a pivoting rubber lip available commercially was also tested. To assess the efficiency of both types of solution, comparisons were made between initial versions of LDAs and modified ones. To make these comparisons, the daily vibration exposure (DVE) of the driver was assessed and the INRS protocol implemented. The results showed that these modifications significantly reduced the shocks and vibrations transmitted to the EPT driver when crossing the LDA in the logistic platform.