WorkSafe inspectors will be focusing on the risks of falling objects when they visit Victorian building sites over the next few weeks.
Falling objects are a leading cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry and pose a risk not only to workers but to people in streets near work sites.
According to WorkSafe, there has been five deaths and 721 injuries caused by falling objects at construction sites over the past five years.
In January alone, there was an incident involving falling objects at a Southbank site where a piece of timber fell 22 floors after it snapped in half while being lifted to a loading bay. At another site, a piece of MDF sheeting fell through an open window and 63 floors to the ground on Little Latrobe Street.
Thankfully no one was injured in these two incidents, but in September 2018 a 48-year-old man died and another worker was seriously injured after they were struck by a kibble full of concrete which fell from a crane at a Box Hill construction site.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Julie Nielsen said even a small object can cause serious injuries when falling from a great height.
“Every year WorkSafe is notified of hundreds of incidents involving falling objects, which are not only dangerous for workers, but also for members of the public passing by construction sites,” she said.
“Loads being lifted through the air must also be properly secured, and as we saw last year, the consequences can be tragic when a crane drops its load and there are workers below.”
“Risk control measures for falling objects are well known so there is no excuse for employers failing to implement them,” said Ms Nielsen.
Employers and site duty holders are being encouraged to prevent falling objects by:
- Eliminating the risk through the off-site assembly of equipment that would otherwise be performed at an elevated edge.
- Using containment systems or securing objects through substitution, isolation or engineering controls.
- Using guardrail systems that incorporate mesh infill panels and kickboards.
- Isolating the risk with barricades or fencing to create exclusion zones at ground level.
- Implementing engineering controls such as perimeter safety screens, overhead protection gantries, enclosed perimeter scaffolding, and restraining loose material.
- Administrative controls such as lines markings and signage to advise lanyard systems are to be used on tools or to monitor the possibility of windy weather.
