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.