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Shelters and seals · Poole

Inflatable dock shelters in Poole

If your site in Poole needs inflatable dock shelters, we can help, whether the dock serves a cold store, a parcel operation, a food factory or a trade counter.

Guide £6,800–£12,800 per shelter ex VATFree site surveyBH15
Book a free survey0800 088 6248
Location
Poole, Dorset
Main postcode district
BH15
Nearby (straight line)
Bournemouth (5 miles), Wimborne Minster (5 miles) and Ferndown (7 miles)
Survey and quote
Free, with a fixed written quote
Inflatable dock shelters, in short

An inflatable dock shelter is a dock shelter with air-filled fabric cushions at the top and sides of the opening, kept deflated and close to the building until a trailer has reversed in. A fan then inflates the cushions so they press against the trailer roof and sides, giving a close seal that adapts to different trailer widths and heights, and deflates again before the trailer leaves.

Where does this fit at a dock in Poole?

When a chilled dock in Poole sees condensation and ice around the door, the seal at the trailer is often where improvement starts. Operators replacing foam seals in Poole that keep wearing out against ill-fitting trailers may find an inflatable shelter suffers far less rubbing.

Pharmaceutical distributors around Poole working to tight temperature limits may want the close seal an inflatable shelter gives during every load.

How does an installation in Poole work? First, a free, no-obligation survey to measure up and understand the operation. Next, a fixed written quote. Then a programme agreed with you, so the work fits around deliveries, with out-of-hours slots if needed. The installation itself is carried out by specialist engineers who answer to us, and it finishes with testing, a walk-through for your staff and a handover pack.

How does an inflatable shelter work with the dock door and leveller?

An inflatable shelter is the first step in the dock sequence: it seals around the trailer before the door opens and only deflates once the door has closed. Getting that order right is what makes it effective.

  1. The trailer reverses onto the bumpers, guided by dock lights and wheel guides.
  2. The trailer is secured by restraint or key control, and the outside light shows red.
  3. The cushions inflate around the top and sides of the trailer.
  4. With the trailer sealed, the door opens and the leveller is deployed.
  5. After loading, the leveller is stored and the door closed.
  6. The cushions deflate and retract, and the light turns green.

Deflated cushions must sit clear of the door and leveller, and internal straps or weights pull them back so trailers do not catch them. Interlocks make each step depend on the last, so staff cannot open the door onto an unsealed trailer.

What safety rules affect inflatable dock shelters?

An inflatable shelter is powered dock equipment, so it must be suitable, maintained and correctly marked, and it should be controlled so a trailer cannot pull away with the cushions inflated around it.

  • Work equipment: PUWER 1998 in Great Britain and PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999 require it to be maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger.
  • Marking: in Great Britain powered dock equipment may carry the UKCA or the CE mark. For Northern Ireland, the CE mark or CE with UKNI applies.
  • Drive-away: HSE workplace transport guidance (HSG136), followed by HSENI in Northern Ireland, calls for safeguards against drivers driving away too early, such as traffic lights, vehicle or trailer restraints, or keeping keys until it is safe. Linking deflation to these controls protects both the cushions and the driver.
  • Regulator: HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.

A vehicle restraint interlocked with the shelter and door is a common way to make the whole sequence dependable.

Guide price, Poole
£6,800–£12,800 per shelter, ex VAT

The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.

What does the free survey cover?

  • Age and condition of the equipment already in place
  • Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
  • Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
  • Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
  • Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
  • Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock

Options to discuss

Interlocked controls

Controls linked to the door, leveller and restraint so the shelter inflates before the door opens and deflates only once it has closed.

Protective outer covers

Hard-wearing covers over the cushions that shield the fabric from weather, sunlight and trailer contact, extending cushion life on exposed docks.

What do the rules in England mean for the work?

Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Poole. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.

Questions about inflatable dock shelters in Poole

Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Poole?

Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.

Is VAT included in your guide prices for inflatable dock shelters?

No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Dorset as everywhere else: for inflatable dock shelters, it is £6,800 to £12,800 per shelter, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.

Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?

Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Poole, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.

Do the cushions touch the trailer as it reverses in?

No, the cushions stay deflated and pulled back against the building while the trailer reverses in, so there is no rubbing as it docks. They inflate only once the trailer is in position and secured, which reduces wear on the fabric compared with foam seals and curtain shelters.

Can a punctured cushion be repaired?

Small punctures and tears can usually be patched, and a badly damaged cushion can be replaced on its own without changing the frame or fan. Repairs are carried out on a chargeable visit, with the price agreed before anyone attends.

Inflatable dock shelters near Poole

Businesses outside Poole may find their nearest town in this list: Bournemouth (5 miles), Wimborne Minster (5 miles) and Ferndown (7 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.

Other loading bay services in Poole

Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in Poole

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