How to Prevent Falling Objects and Tools When Working at Heights

The most dangerous scenario at a workplace is when employees drop objects or tools while working at high heights, which in turn may injure workers or lead to fatalities.

Safe work procedures should be established for workers working at high heights, and every employee involved should be offered the right training. Inspection of working platforms and equipment won’t be enough. Tool drop protection will also be needed to ensure workers’ safety.

What Drop or Fall Protection Is

Historically, drop protection has involved preventing people from falling. Today, it refers to everything that falls, whether it is equipment, tools, debris, or a person.

For every object at a high height, including people, it isn’t about catching objects. Rather, it is all about ensuring things don’t fall.

Every object, whether tools or people, needs a fall protection strategy to prevent it from falling. PPE manufacturers and regulating bodies like ISEA, ANSI, and OSHA are creating regulations and performance standards for products.

Currently, OSHA requires workers to maintain workplaces that are free from recognized hazards that cause serious physical harm or even death to workers. The body also requires that if employees work in an environment where they are at risk of getting hit by something that falls, they must do the following:

• Use debris nets
• Secure materials and tools
• Use toe boards
• Barricade hazard areas

Tips to Prevent Objects/Tools from Falling While Working at a High Height

Falling objects, like work tools and materials, present serious safety concerns whenever work is done in an elevated location or overhead. This risk is mostly ignored until a near injury or missed injury serves as a blunt reminder.

But the solution is very straightforward – be proactive as well as prevent the drop. To achieve that, the following are tips that can help you:

1.      Identify Hazards

It is very important to identify tool or object drop hazards to minimize the risks of falls in a workplace. Every work activity must be put into consideration when designing the right fall protection systems. For instance, you need to identify every task and location that can cause injuries because of fall, including:

• Slopes
• Roof hatches and skylights
• Stairways, scaffolds, and ladders
• Unprotected ages
• Fragile surfaces

2.      Provide Warning Signs and Safety

As a project owner or employer, you have to offer accurate and adequate warning signs for workers and everyone coming to the site. This is more important, especially when working in a place where the possibility of falling tools or objects is high.

Among the effective ways of doing that is through signage posting and verbal communication. A better way to ensure workers’ safety at the work site is to ensure they know which places have more potential for falling tools or objects and provide warning signs.

In conclusion, falling tools or objects are common risks in most workplaces and may result in death or serious injuries. By identifying potential hazards and providing warning signs and safety equipment, you will not only minimize the risks of falling tools or objects, but you will also ensure workers’ safety in the workplace.