DROPPED TOOLS ARE THE SECOND BIGGEST CAUSE OF WORKPLACE FATALITIES
DROPPED TOOLS ARE THE SECOND BIGGEST CAUSE OF WORKPLACE FATALITIES
Why do I need to tether my tools? is an increasingly common question we are asked by clients ranging from local tradesmen to global blue chip corporations with operations spanning the globe.
Recently however, it is, or is becoming a legal requirement in many countries around the world to eliminate rather than manage dropped tools. Why?
1. Danger to life, equipment, reputation
A spanner is dropped…
The red circle shows its descent…
…and the significant danger zone.
2. Regulation
This has been reflected in other countries such as Australia with Regulation 54 of the ‘Work Health and Safety Regulations’ 2011.
Regulation 54 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 states:
“A person conducting a business or undertaking must manage risks to health and safety associated with an object falling on a person if the falling object is reasonably likely to injure the person….”
… and Safe Work Australia specifically requires that the risk of dropped objects must be eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable. If elimination is not reasonably practicable, the risk must be minimised.
To underpin this regulatory framework, there are now fines and potential jail sentences for both individuals and managers of corporate bodies who fail to implement dropped tool prevention policies and equipment. In short, safety is now everyone’s responsibility and that is embedded in law.
3. Financial
Why can’t I use my own tethers?
A few statistics
A 1lb (450gram) tool dropped just 10 feet would hit you with a mass equivalent to 21 stone (135 kg) in under 1 second!
Fatalities in most developed countries have reached c.20% and are likely to be the 2nd highest cause of all work related deaths in recent years.
In the UK, ‘being struck by falling objects’ was the highest cause of fatalities in the workplace (21 deaths) in 2011-2012, according to the HSE. It also contributed to 10% or 2,347 non-fatal but major workplace injuries in the same time period.
It’s not just the UK – between 2010-2011, Australia reported dropped objects as being the most common cause of workplace fatalities (26 of the 138 deaths reported).
According to the US Department For Labor, dropped objects sadly accounted for 233 largely preventable deaths last year.
That’s nearly 300 deaths per year in just 3 countries that could be eliminated with standardised and enforced tool and equipment tethering when working at height..
Until now, there has been no effective, certified and globally consistent method of tethering tools safely.
TOOL TETHERS, LANYARDS AND ACCESSORIES FOR PROFESSIONALS
Until now, there’s been no widely available, certified and statistically fail-safe technology to tether and secure your existing tools for use at height. The only option was expensive, specialist tools or non-certified, untested ‘self-tethering’ methods.
Carefully constructed tool kits, complete with certified Tool@rrest tethers and lanyards provide a fully secure, tested and assured system, protecting workers at height and colleagues below from dropped tools.
Premium general and specialist hand tools for industrial use at height, specifically designed with our iconic independently tested Tool@rrest tether. A central part of any safety system for safe work at height.
Our range of tool, wrist and retractable lanyards, buckets, belts, holders and accessories complete the solution for safe work at height, including tools-in-waiting, completing the solution for safe use and storage of hand tools.
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