Dock Safety Best Practices – RDS Dock Hardware

Dock safety should be one of the most important criteria you factor into your custom dock design. Anytime you’re near the water, you simply have to prioritize it. A simple slip and fall while walking to your boat can lead to a significant injury if you’re not careful.

Tips to Improve Dock Safety

Creating a safe dock environment is important for everyone, and there are easy ways to minimize dock safety risks by following a few best practices. When considering the needs of your property, here are a few areas to keep in mind.

Slip and fall prevention – Slips, trips and falls are common dock disasters. You can prevent many of them by taking precautionary steps such as clearing debris and trip hazards right away, installing handrails as necessary, and being mindful of your decking material selection (and adding anti-slip coatings if needed).

Equipment and hardware safety – Worn-out or degraded equipment and dock hardware can be hazardous. Consider updating your hardware with rust-resistant alternatives, and stay on top of dock maintenance. This also includes paying attention to any electrical considerations. Electrical panels, outlets, and wiring should always be protected from water and moisture.

Basic safety precautions – Taking basic steps to ensure your dock is safe for all users should be an ongoing practice. Measures like conducting routine inspections of your equipment and taking notice of your surrounding areas are important to preventing accidents. You can also improve dock accessibility for people with disabilities by ensuring that your gangways are safe.

Weather and environmental considerations – Always pay attention to the weather conditions and take precautions when weather events are on the horizon. This includes securing loose items during high winds and taking action when other environmental impacts may affect the safety of your dock, guests and property.

Lastly, an important part of dock safety is communicating with all dock users about best practices for staying safe while on the dock and anytime they’re near water. It’s also beneficial to post safety signage and emergency procedures so everyone knows what to do if an accident were to occur.