What Is The Risk Of Falling Objects?
When we think of hazards associated with working at height the majority of us will think of people falling from height. However, falling objects can have the same devastatingly fatal effects as a fall, for people who are below where you are working.
You may think this is an issue purely for the construction companies, who do a lot of what working at height. However, many businesses have mezzanines, fixed platforms around equipment, racking, overhead cranes or just a simple landing on stairs from which objects could fall off and injure someone below.
Common causes of objects falling from height are:
- Objects being kicked from work platforms.
- Objects falling over or through hand rails.
- Objects falling through holes or gaps in platforms.
- Objects being dropped accidentally.
- Incorrect storage of materials.
- Failure of lifting equipment or racking.
How can we prevent accidents resulting from falling objects?
If nobody is below where you are working, then nobody can be injured by a falling object. You can achieve this by creating exclusion zones below where you are working or lifting, using barriers fencing and signage. Obviously, this isn’t possible in all circumstances and regardless, we need to think about reducing the risk of objects falling in the first place.
Here are some things to think about to prevent objects falling:
- Make sure that kick plates / toe boards are in place for any area where there is a risk of objects being kicked off a platform at height.
- Arrange your workplace so that the risk of objects falling over or through handrails is reduced.
- Where possible / practical fill or cover any gaps or holes in flooring and handrails and where this is not possible consider putting measures in place to catch falling objects i.e. nets.
- Consider using tool harnesses / Lanyards
- Make sure lifting equipment and racking is used for its intended purpose, safe working loads are not exceeded and this equipment is tested regularly.
- Make sure you maintain a good standard of housekeeping on your work platform. This will reduce the risk of things being kicked off or pushed through hand railings.
- Where there is a high risk of falling object i.e. on construction sites, hard hats should be worn.
Risk Assessment and Reporting?
Many of these things should have been thought about by your management team and be part of your risk assessments and safe systems of work. However if you spot any areas for improvement you should raise them with your management particularly if there has been a near miss.
Download this Toolbox Talk and Sign off Register
Click the button below to download a .pdf of this toolbox talk along with a sign off register. You can use this to demonstrate that you have communicated this toolbox talk to your teams.
Looking for more?
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