Did you know that a falling bolt can strike with the force of a fast motorcycle; a sledgehammer can hit with the force of a city bus? WorkSafe has published a new page reminding employers and workers of the hazards of falling objects and highlighting their dropped object calculator.
Falling object are one of the leading causes of workplace harm in the building and construction industry. Understanding the consequences of such hazards is an important aspect of escalating such issues for resolution.
The dropped object calculator allows users to select the weight of an object to discover how much damage it could cause when falling from a certain height.
To highlight the risk and to complement the existing falling objects resources, WorkSafe has also shared an animated video showing the circumstances and factors that resulted in a sprinkler head falling 26 storeys from a Melbourne construction site, landing close to workers at street level.
The video was produced as part of an Enforceable Undertaking valued at more than $195,000 entered into with Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd following the incident.
WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Sam Jenkin urged all workers and duty holders in the construction industry to watch the video and access the resources available.
“Every year hundreds of workers are seriously injured by falling objects,” said Mr Jenkin.
Read more: Catching the risks of falling objects before they strike | WorkSafe Victoria
Find the dropped object calculator here: Falling objects | WorkSafe Victoria