In a recent issue of Industrial Safety News, there was an interesting article that pointed out that is not just “people falls” that present a safety management challenge when it comes to working at height.
The article reported that a total of 275 people died as a result of a fall from height in the period 2003 – 2012 in Australia, around 11% of all fatalities, surprisingly however, an additional 227 people died in the same period as a consequence of being struck by a falling object, about 9% of total fatalities.
Aside from fatalities, drops and falls also represent a significant volume of general injuries suffered.
The question to consider is – are these instances preventable? The answer, in most instances , is undoubtedly – yes.
The cost of lost time in both health outcomes for workers and lost productivity time are obviously significant. In addition the cost of lost items themselves cannot be ignored.
There are various ways to contain dropped objects, and the team at Safety Nets NZ has developed a system whereby both the fall protection needs of workers undertaking works at height, together with protection of the workforce who might be required to work beneath them, are addressed. By using a combination of our fully certified personnel fall protection nets, overlain with purpose made debris netting, we can ensure that injuries as a result of falling/dropping objects are minimised.
So if you are concerned that your workforce might be at risk from dropped objects, speak to the team at Safety Nets NZ we will work with you to establish a protective system that will keep your guys safe.
Until next time – take care
Craig J Daly
GENERAL MANAGER
With best regards.
