FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

QUESTIONS

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

Types of falls & injuries

 Falls on the same level - often caused by
slipping on a wet or greasy surface or
tripping over an obstacle on the ground or
floor & usually ends in injury
 Falls from one level to another - often
caused by the same factors but obviously
the injuries are much more severe
depending on the distance between levels
 Injuries depend on:
– how you land
– what you land on
– what you land in
A falling object can be anything from a small
nut or bolt to a person

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

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 FALLS & FALLING
OBJECTS
Recent industry survey by UK HS&E
regarding dangers in the office from
falls & falling objects
(actual number of casualties)

 Injured whilst handling,

703
lifting or carrying
 Slip, trip or fall on same level
679
 Falls from height
322
 Struck by moving, including
317
falling/flying object
These figures equate to a total of
44% of all accidents in the office
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 FALLS & FALLING
OBJECTS
Various types of falling objects:
 Small or light objects with sharp
corners or edges
 Smooth objects with rounded edges
falling significant heights
 Heavy objects of any shape falling
short distances
 Heavy objects of any shape falling
long distances
The greater the distance an object
falls through, the more time it has to
accelerate and the impact caused by
this acceleration can be devastating,
eg: an item falling 10 metres or 30ft.
Has an impact equivalent to
10 times its own weight
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 FALLS & FALLING
OBJECTS
Basic rules:
(how to avoid yourself becoming a falling
object)
 Dress properly
 Utilise the appropriate personal protection
equipment, eg safety helmet & steel toecap
boots or shoes
 Wear any additional safety equipment
depending on the situation and/or type of
work
 Be aware of the regulations or company
procedures concerning working at heights
or working over water
eg: working at a height in excess of 2m
above ground or deck (or over the side),
special precautions must be taken to ensure
your safety

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 FALLS & FALLING
OBJECTS
When working at height:
 Cordon off the area below your work
site
 Prevent personnel being in the
vicinity
 Ensure that appropriate means to
prevent falls are provided
 Take extra care if the floor conditions
are wet, greasy, icy or just generally
slippery
 In windy conditions, be prepared for
that sudden gust
 In poor lighting, always look out for
possible trip hazards
 Try to expect the unexpected

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

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Portable Ladders - Rules for the safe use of:

 There must be a person in attendance at

the “foot”of the ladder
 It must be securely lashed in position
 It must be extended at least 1 metre
above the landing or workplace
 The most desirable angle for a ladder is
approximately 70* (this equates to a
gradient of one in four)
 In certain circumstances for reasons of
safety, only wooden ladders are
acceptable

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
WORK AT HEIGHT

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

Reduce the risk of being injured by a

dropped or falling object by:
 Having a heightened awareness of the
dangers of falling/dropped objects
 Always being extra alert should
personnel or machinery be working
overhead
 Being extra careful when you may find
yourself in a vulnerable situation, for
example, below a mezzanine level with
personnel or machinery working above
 Obeying any signs warning you to keep
clear & adhering to any safe
passageways which may be indicated
 Wearing the protective clothing issued
specifically a safety helmet & steel
toecap boots or shoes

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

Most common falling objects:

Hand tools, machine parts, components of
existing structures, snow & ice
Most common causes:
 Carrying tools in pockets instead of a
proper tool belt
 Leaving tools or machine parts at an
elevated job site
 Placing small hand tools or machine
parts on open grating floors
 Sudden unexpected movements for
example, a spanner slipping off a nut
 Stacking & racking of materials
 Sudden gusts or high winds

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Office workers:
Most common causes of accidents
are people who:
 Try to put too much on a shelf
causing it to collapse
 Stack boxes of office supplies too
high leaving them unstable
 Leave the bottom drawers of filing
cabinets open which become trip
hazards
 Overload the top drawers of filing
cabinets which make them
unstable
 Use a chair instead of proper
steps, to reach up to a height
 Spill tea or coffee on a tiled
surface thus creating a slippery
surface (particularly hazardous
near a stairway)
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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

Q1) Name the two main types of fall

A) i)Falling on the same level often
caused by slips or trips
ii)Falling from one level to
another where the injuries are
much more severe

Q2) What is a falling object?

A) A falling object can be anything
from a small nut or bolt to a heavy
load suspended by a crane. It can
also be a person!

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

Q3) How can you avoid yourself

becoming a falling object?
A) i) Dress properly
ii) Use appropriate personal
protective equipment, e.g.
safety helmet & safety boots
iii)Wear additional safety
equipment, e.g. safety
harness
iv) Be aware of safe working
procedures concerning
working at heights

Q4) What is the minimum height above

ground or deck where special
precautions must be taken?
A) 2 metres

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS
Q5) What other precautions should be
taken when working at height?
A) i)Cordon off the area below the
worksite
ii)Prevent personnel being in the
area
iii)Take care of slippery surfaces
iv)Be aware of strong winds
v) Be aware of trip hazards in
poor lighting

Q6) Name two alternative methods

to using ladders or scaffolding
for working at height?
A) i)Mobile Access Platforms
ii)Personnel Work Basket

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QUESTIONS

Q7) When using portable ladders,

what is the most desirable & safest
gradient?
A) One in four eg for every four
metres in height, the ladder should
be moved out one metre from the
support structure.
Q8) What is the most common cause
of falls from ladders & how can you
avoid it?
A) i)Overreaching/stretching too far
ii)By moving the ladder closer to
the work area

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QUESTIONS

Q9) What should you always check

before climbing on scaffolding?

A) That it has a green “Scafftag” ie it

has been inspected & certified for
use by a competent person

Q10) What is the most common

causes of falling objects?
A) Hand tools, machine parts, parts of
existing structures, snow & ice

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

Q11) In the office, the most common

cause of accidents are people who?

A) i)Try to put too much on a shelf

causing collapse
ii)Stack boxes too high leaving them
unstable
iii)Leave bottom drawers of
cabinets open, causing trip
hazards
iv)Overload top drawers which
makes them unstable
v)Using a chair instead of proper
steps, to reach up to a height
vi)Spill tea or coffee on a tiled
surface thus creating a slippery
surface (particularly hazardous
near a stairway)

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS

The “Health & Safety at

Work Act 1974”:

Which is designed to try & protect the

individual in the workplace

and

the “Workplace
(Health, Safety & Welfare)
Regulations 1992”:

Which are accompanied by an

“Approved Code of Practice.”

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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
QUESTIONS

Q3) The approved code of practice which

deals with falling objects give certain
provisions. What are they?
A) i) Personnel should be issued with the
relevant standard protective equipment,
information, instruction, training &
supervision
ii) Suitable & effective measures shall be
taken to prevent any person falling from a a
distance likely to cause injury
iii) Suitable & effective measures shall also
be taken to prevent them being struck by a
falling object likely to cause injury
iv) Where areas of risk exist, eg people
working overhead, relevant warning signs
must be posted in a prominent place
v) So far as is practicable, every tank, pit
or structure where there is a risk of a person
in the workplace falling into a dangerous
substance contained therein, shall be
securely covered or fenced
vi) Every traffic route over, across or in an
uncovered tank, pit or structure containing
dangerous substances shall beBaku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
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 FALLS & FALLING OBJECTS
Requirements of Regulations
 Standard protective equipment,
information, instruction, training &
supervision
 Prevention of persons falling a
distance likely to cause injury
 Prevention of them being struck by
falling objects likely to cause injuries
 Relevant warning signs to be posted
in prominent places
 Tanks, pits or structures containing
dangerous substances to be securely
covered or cordoned
 Traffic routes, across or in uncovered
tanks, pits or structures containing
dangerous substances to be securely
fenced

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Dangerous Substances
 Any substances likely to scald or
burn
 Any poisonous substances
 Any corrosive substance
 Any fume, gas or vapour likely to
overcome a person
or
 Any granular or free flowing solid
substance, or any viscous
substance which, in any case, is
of a nature or quantity which is
likely to cause danger to any
person
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