UFO? No alien sighting but falling objects danger: don’t watch your steps only while you’re on site. Falling objects, besides being one of the main workplace injury causes in industry and construction field, represent one of the most recurring and deserving hazards.
There are several tools for potential damage calculation of a dropped object including the “DROPS Calculator” created by DROPS work team (http://www.dropsonline.org/about/) thanks to Shell and Total support attached herewith. For example, a bolt of 220g weight falling from 23m height strikes with 49kg weight circa: have you ever think of being struck by a washing machine on site?
A useful solution to avoid accidental tools fall from height is using a tether or lanyard to anchor the tool to worker wrist or body alternatively to a structure fixed point. Now available there are few specific gear however using a rope, a wire or a lace properly tethered or fastened to both extremities, one to the tool and one to the anchor point, is often enough.
To determine where to anchor the tool you need to consider tool weight and its use. Generally:
- weight < 0,5kg – wrist, body (neck, belt) or structure
- 0,5 < weight ? 3kg – body (belt) or structure
- weight > 3kg – structure
WARNING: when tethering any tool to a person or structure, always assess shock load to anchor point in case of tool fall.
See attached DROPS Calculator and TY-FLOT poster.