Safety in the loading bay

Bonmarché, the UK's largest value womenswear retailer for women aged 50+ years, has improved the safety of its loading and unloading operations with the adoption of Castell's Salvo.

The interlocking drive-away prevention system has been installed on all seven loading bays at Bonmarché's Grange Moor head office, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Grange Moor, Bonmarché's only distribution centre, handles an average of 140,000 garments a day, although this rises to 200,000 at peak times.

Historically, Bonmarché had safeguarded its loading bay activities through 'people systems', with relevant information being passed between the individuals concerned. But this arrangement was prone to misunderstandings. Several incidents in which employees were injured, plus other instances of vehicles moving prematurely, convinced Bonmarché of the need to add an extra level of safety to both its goods-in and goods-out operations.

It supplements the Salvo system with wheel chocks, traffic lights and cones placed in front of vehicles. For rigid vehicles, the company has also purchased seven Salvo Clubs, an interlocking steering wheel lock.