Dropped Objects
Dropped objects continue to be a significant hazard at worksites across the United States. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, there were 241 workplace fatalities caused by being struck by falling objects or equipment. In addition, OSHA reports that thousands of “struck-by a falling object” incidents occur each year on construction sites alone, resulting in serious injuries and fatalities.
Even small items, such as bolts or hand tools, can cause severe injury or death when dropped from height and striking workers below. Beyond the human toll, dropped objects contribute to substantial financial losses for employers due to property damage, lost productivity, and increased insurance costs.
Safe Work Practices to Prevent Dropped Object Incidents
Eliminate the hazard: Remove objects and tools from higher levels, scaffolding, or aerial lifts that do not need to be there. Removing objects that can pose a hazard to people working below is the best option to prevent a dropped object incident.
Engineering controls: Barricade zones below higher work levels to prevent personnel from walking into the line of fire of a dropped object. Install toe boards on higher work levels to make sure objects and tools cannot easily slide off an edge to a lower level. Place nets or some type of protective barrier above ground-level workers if there is continuous work being performed above a work area. Another engineering control is the use of tethers or anchors for tools and objects that are being used on a higher work level. This limits the object from falling.
PPE: Anytime there are overhead hazards present on a job site, safety helmets need to be worn. PPE is always the last line of defense. Wearing a hardhat will only limit the damage a dropped object does, not prevent it from happening. Rely on eliminating the hazard or installing engineering controls to reduce the chance of objects striking ground personnel instead of PPE to lessen the blow.
Summary
Look at all work areas where a dropped object incident can happen. Situations such as using aerial lifts and working on scaffolds pose obvious hazards but try to identify less obvious hazards. An example could be a large wrench sitting on the edge of a piece of equipment that has a mechanic working underneath or even a hot cup of coffee on top of a filing cabinet. Paying attention to the smaller hazards translates to safety improvement at your work site.
Discussion points:
- How can we prevent dropped object incidents on our site?
- When working in your job area today, look for hazards associated with dropped objects and report them to your supervisor or the safety department to get them corrected.