Awareness of the risks presented by dropped objects in the workplace is not a recent development. In the early years of the last century the introduction of safety glasses, hard hats and steel boots as standard wear in construction and industrial settings were inspired by the need to protect workers from the danger of dropped objects. However, a century later the statistics still make for grim reading:
- In the US, more than 50,000 "struck by falling object" OSHA recordables every year; In 2016, 255 fatalities caused by a falling object (OSHA.gov)
- Dropped Objects are among the top 10 causes of fatality and serious injury in the oil and gas industry (OilandGasTechnology.net)- Over 10 years, 10% of Australian work-related traumatic injury fatalities have been caused by being hit by falling object – (SafeWorkAustralia)
The solution to significantly reducing these unacceptable statistics must extend beyond just aiming to protect workers from the impact of falling objects. While of course the use of the personal protection equipment mentioned above will have saved countless lives and prevented thousands of injuries in the years since their introduction, more must be done to prevent falling objects striking their victims in the first place. The safe containment of tools and materials through the use of tethers and containers, the installation of netting, toe boards and guards, and the introduction of better safety training in dropped object prevention are just some of the solutions which must be incorporated as standard.
Great work is being done in the field. Last year in the US, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) released the first version of their Dropped Object Prevention Solutions Standards. The standards, now adopted by the American National Standards Institute as ANSI/ISEA 121, establish ‘design, testing and performance criteria for active systems used to prevent dropped objects in the workplace'.
Meanwhile the Dropped Objects Prevention Scheme (DROPS), representing the oil and gas industry worldwide, are dedicated to promoting ‘best practice recommendations for the securing of equipment and tools at the worksite´ through the publication of recommended procedures and the running of training courses.
In the UK, and instigated by PASMA, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Working at Height last year launched its first official inquiry into the number of serious injuries and fatalities resulting from falls from height and falling objects in the workplace.
Companies, HSE officials, trade unions representatives, safety consultants, equipment manufacturers and publishers must all play a role in raising the awareness of dropped object hazards and the solutions already available.
It is the intention of this website to provide a central reference point for news and developments in the field of dropped object accident prevention and to collate links to all of the excellent resources available on the internet. If you have an interest in the field in any capacity, please let us know about your ideas for improving dropped object awareness, as well as suggestions for improving the website.
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We look forward to hearing from you.
Geoff Harrison
info@droppedobjectsafetyresources.com