The document discusses procedures for maintaining a clean and organized receiving bay. It is important to keep the receiving bay clean and organized to make the receiving process easier, prevent accidents, and potential theft. Proper procedures should be followed such as ensuring all goods and equipment have a designated storage place, walkways remain clear, goods are promptly processed, and housekeeping is regularly performed. Appropriate security measures like access restrictions and cameras also help prevent theft in the receiving bay. New technologies like RFID, conveyor belts, and robotic systems are increasingly used to further organize the receiving process and reduce risks.

1. Step 1 – Clean and organise
receiving bay

2. One of the first things that should be considered
when receiving and processing incoming goods
is that the receiving bay or loading dock is well
organised and clean.

3. It is important that this area remains clean and
well organised. This makes the process easier
and also will prevent accidents and potential
theft.
The receiving bay of a retail store will vary
depending on the store’s size and location.
Larger stores will have a receiving bay where all
goods are delivered to.

4. Question
Identify four hazards that exist in a receiving
bay

5. Hazards in the receiving bay
• tripping over stock or
slipping on spills
• cutting themselves on
packaging materials or
cutting tools
• being hit by forklifts,
trolleys, etc
• being exposed to
hazardous material
• being injured by goods
falling from shelves
• falling off the edge of
the loading bay
• jamming fingers under
packages

6. Activities
Copy and complete the following table by
explaining how to avoid each accident.

7. Accident How to avoid
Stock falling on employees from
shelves
Employee falling on spill
Employee being hit by forklift
Employee jamming fingers under
package
Employee cutting self with knife
while opening a packaging
Employee being exposed to
hazardous material

8. Accidents
Watch the two YouTube clips on accidents in the
warehouse.
1. What procedure should each person have
followed?

9. Question
Look at the following pictures of receiving
bays. Some are clean and well organised,
others not so.
For each one, list a good/bad thing you see.

17. Procedures
In order to have a well organised and clean
receiving bay, free of hazards; a variety of
procedures should be followed. These include:
• every good or piece of equipment should have
a place and is this where they should be
stored
• walkways should be clear and clutter free
• goods should be processed as soon as possible

18. • staff should perform regularly housekeeping,
this ensures goods aren’t soiled and therefore
unable to be sold
• policies and procedures should be followed in
terms of storage, such as how high to store
things and where to store them
• appropriate signage to inform staff
• an efficient system of waste disposal

19. Security in the receiving bay
Theft is also an issue in the receiving bay and as
such there should be security measures in place.
These include:
• Restricting access to the area for staff,
customers and suppliers
• Keeping the area locked
• Using surveillance cameras
• Disposing of all cartons and packages

20. Questions
1. List the equipment that could be used in the
receiving bay
2. Find three signs that could be placed around
the receiving bay

21. New Technologies
As with any other area of the retail store, new
technologies are emerging to make the receiving
bay a more organised place.
These include:

22. RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses
wireless technology to transfer data from an
electronic tag attached to a product to a reader
for the purpose of identifying and tracking the
object.
This would allow employees to know the exact
location of all stock. This would make the picking
of stock easier.

25. Conveyer belts
Some stores will also use conveyor belts to
move their stock from one place to another. This
will mean manual handling accidents are
reduced.

29. Robotic technology
Some larger stores with massive warehouses are
now using robotic technology.
The robots are told where products is located
and where they need to go. They locate the
product, slide beneath the stack to pick it up
and then take the product back to the packing
area.

30. Watch the third YouTube clip about
each the use of these orange
robots

31. New technology
Explain the following new technologies and their
benefits