- Location
- Hatfield, Hertfordshire
- Main postcode district
- AL10
- Nearby (straight line)
- Welwyn Garden City (3 miles), St Albans (5 miles) and Potters Bar (5 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
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.
How does this suit sites in Hatfield?
Specifying a new temperature-controlled warehouse in Hatfield is the ideal time to design inflatable shelters in with the doors and levellers, so controls are integrated from the start. Driving rain and wind at an open bay in Hatfield can wear cushion fabric, so a protective outer cover is worth considering on exposed docks.
Operators replacing foam seals in Hatfield that keep wearing out against ill-fitting trailers may find an inflatable shelter suffers far less rubbing.
We never ask you to commit before you have a fixed price. A free survey at your Hatfield site comes first, followed by a written quote. When the order goes ahead, we plan the installation around your operation, book any out-of-hours working you need and manage the specialist installation engineers on site. The job ends with a full test, a run-through for the people who will use the equipment and a set of handover documents.
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.
What is involved in installing an inflatable dock shelter?
Installing an inflatable shelter involves fixing a steel frame to the building around the dock door, mounting the cushions and fan, and wiring the controls, usually over one to two days per bay.
- The wall is checked and fixing points or a subframe prepared.
- The frame is fixed from powered access equipment in the yard.
- Top and side cushions are fitted, with protective covers where specified.
- The fan unit is mounted and the control panel wired, including interlocks to the door, leveller or restraint.
- Inflation, deflation and cushion retraction are tested with a trailer in the bay.
You will need to provide a clear yard area in front of the bay, take the bay out of use and arrange a power supply near the door, or ask us to include one. At cold stores we plan the work with the dock door kept closed, so the store stays at temperature while the shelter goes up outside.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Working hours, shift patterns and windows for out-of-hours work
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
Options to discuss
Top cushion only
A single inflatable cushion across the top of the opening, paired with fixed side pads or curtains, for docks where trailer heights vary more than widths.
Three-sided inflatable
Top and side cushions that inflate around the trailer for the closest seal, the usual choice for chilled and frozen docks with mixed trailers.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Hatfield, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions about inflatable dock shelters in Hatfield
How do you price inflatable dock shelters for a site in Hatfield?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £6,800 to £12,800 per shelter, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Hatfield?
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.
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Hatfield site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
What happens to an inflatable shelter if the power fails?
If the power fails, the fan stops and the cushions gradually deflate, so the trailer can leave once loading has been brought to a safe end. At a cold store, the dock door should be closed by hand where possible to protect the store. We explain the power failure routine at handover.
Will we need to change the rest of the dock?
Usually not. Most inflatable shelters fit around an existing door opening, though the leveller, bumpers and door controls are reviewed so the cushions clear them and the interlocks work. Where the wall cannot carry the frame, a subframe is added. We confirm what is needed at survey.
Inflatable dock shelters near Hatfield
Nearby places we cover, measured from Hatfield, include Welwyn Garden City (3 miles), St Albans (5 miles) and Potters Bar (5 miles). Ask if your own town is missing.
Other loading bay services in Hatfield
Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in Hatfield
Tell us what is happening at your Hatfield dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.