- Location
- Antrim, County Antrim
- Main postcode district
- BT41
- Nearby (straight line)
- Ballymena (10 miles), Newtownabbey (13 miles) and Belfast (14 miles)
- Visit pricing
- Agreed in writing before we attend
Dock shelter and seal repair covers restoring the weather seal around a docked trailer. Typical work includes replacing torn side and head curtains, worn foam seal pads and their covers, top pads and guide strips, repairing or replacing airbags and blowers on inflatable shelters, and straightening or replacing bent shelter frames, so the bay closes the gap between building and trailer again.
How does this suit sites in Antrim?
Inflatable shelters at food sites in Antrim depend on blowers and airbags working properly, and a slow-inflating shelter is worth checking before it fails. Repairs to shelters and seals in Antrim follow the same process as anywhere else in the UK, with the visit price agreed in writing first.
Exposed yards in Antrim that catch strong winds can tear shelter curtains or strain frames, letting weather into the dock until parts are replaced.
Our repair process in Antrim has four parts. You describe the problem and send photos. We price the visit and confirm it in writing. The engineer attends, carries out the agreed work and quotes anything additional before doing it. You then receive a written report on the condition of the equipment and the work completed, which is useful for insurers, inspectors and your own planning.
Why is my dock shelter or seal letting in draughts?
A dock shelter or seal lets in draughts when the material that should press against the trailer is torn, worn, too short or no longer in the right place. Daylight around a docked trailer is the clearest sign.
- Torn or shrunk curtains: side curtains no longer overlap the trailer sides.
- Short head curtain: taller trailers than the shelter was sized for leave a gap across the top.
- Flattened seal pads: foam that has lost its spring no longer closes the gap.
- Worn pad covers: exposed foam soaks up water and breaks down faster.
- Bent frame: a retractable shelter frame that no longer returns square.
- Airbag or blower fault: inflatable shelters that inflate slowly or lose pressure.
- Trailer position: off-centre parking or worn bumpers that let trailers crush one side.
On chilled docks, gaps also show up as condensation, ice on the dock floor or frost around the door.
Do dock shelters and seals fall under PUWER?
Yes. Dock shelters and seals are work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), so they must be suitable, maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger. In Northern Ireland the equivalent is PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999.
Shelter and seal damage is often treated as a comfort or energy issue, but some faults are safety issues too:
- loose head curtains, top pads or fixings that could fall;
- bent or broken frame arms with sharp edges at head height;
- wet or icy dock floors caused by gaps around the trailer;
- electrical faults on inflatable shelter blowers.
The regulator is HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland. Including shelters and seals in planned maintenance, and recording what is found, shows they are being kept in a safe condition. Problems found during servicing are quoted as repairs before any work is done.
The visit price is agreed before anyone attends. Parts and any extra work are quoted before they are fitted.
Checks made while we are on site
- Traffic light function and interlock operation
- Dock bumpers for missing rubber or loose fixings
- Hydraulic oil level, hoses and cylinders for leaks
- Pit frame welds, platform cracks and structural damage
- Door panels, side seals and bottom rubbers
- Control panels, push buttons and emergency stops
Options to discuss
Seal pad refurbishment
Replacing worn foam pads, or just their covers where the foam is still sound, including tougher facings on the areas where trailers rub most.
Airbag and blower repairs
Repairing or replacing torn airbags, failed blower motors and controls on inflatable shelters so the bags inflate fully and seal around the trailer again.
What do the rules in Northern Ireland mean for the work?
In Northern Ireland, the CE mark (or CE with UKNI) applies to powered doors and dock equipment. We hand over the documentation for each item fitted in Antrim, and because building control and planning are handled by the council, we check what applies before any work starts before any dates are set.
Questions about dock shelter and seal repairs in Antrim
Can repairs be carried out outside our working hours?
Yes, by arrangement. Evening, night or weekend visits can be booked so that repairs and servicing at your Antrim site cause less disruption to loading. Out-of-hours attendance usually affects the price, so we include it when we agree the visit charge in writing. Tell us your shift pattern and the times when the dock is quietest.
How often should equipment at our Antrim site be serviced?
It depends on how hard the equipment works and on the manufacturer's recommendations. A multi-shift dock with frequent trailer movements needs more attention than a door that opens a few times a day. We suggest a schedule after looking at the equipment and how it is used, and we can line visits up with your insurance inspections where that helps.
What happens if the engineer finds the equipment unsafe?
If equipment is found to be unsafe, the engineer will tell you straight away and recommend that it is isolated and taken out of use until it is repaired. That is recorded in the written report. We then quote the repair so you can decide how to proceed. Keeping an unsafe door or leveller in service puts people at risk, so we will always raise it.
Can worn dock seal covers be replaced without new foam?
Often, yes. If the foam inside a seal pad still springs back, a new cover can be fitted over it. If the foam has stayed compressed or soaked up water, the pad is usually replaced complete. Photos of the pads, front and side, help us judge which applies.
Can you replace just the curtains on a dock shelter?
Yes. If the frame is still sound, the side and head curtains can be replaced on their own, which is the most common shelter repair. Curtains are usually made to measure, so the shelter is measured first and the new curtains fitted on a second visit, with both visits priced in advance.
Dock shelter and seal repairs near Antrim
If your site is not in Antrim itself, it may be near one of these: Ballymena (10 miles), Newtownabbey (13 miles) and Belfast (14 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Antrim
Full guide to dock shelter and seal repairs · Everything we do in Antrim
Use the quote tool to tell us about the doors, levellers or shelters at your Antrim site, and we will be in touch to arrange the next step.