Falling objects are a common cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry. Materials, tools, debris or equipment falling from above can cause fatal head injuries and other serious harm.

Let’s look first at the problem of stored materials. Materials are piled in the yard, in the truck or at various places on the jobsite.

You should pile all materials on a sound base and at a reasonable height. It may be necessary to cross-tie and cover these materials for protection and safety.

Piling materials on scaffolds requires special care:

• Be careful not to overload the scaffold.
• Allow ample space for work operations.
• Make the piles stable.
• Be sure toeboards are placed on all scaffolding and open elevations to safeguard workers below from falling materials, such as loose brick, tools or equipment.

When you want to send material, tools or equipment to higher elevations:

• Use containers or buckets and hand lines.
• When you pull on a hand line, be sure to stand clear of the loaded materials and tools.
• Never throw materials or tools.
• Keep an eye on the load as it rises. When you have to pull up materials that can’t be placed in a container, fasten the load securely to the hand line. If materials such as pipe, conduit and rods aren’t properly fastened in bundles, a piece might become jarred loose and hit the worker pulling the hand line.

Tools, equipment and materials often fall when workers attempt to carry them up ladders. Use hand lines so your hands will be free to hold onto the ladder as you climb.

When you load hoists and platform skips, ensure the materials and packages are stacked safely. A sloppy load is a load of trouble. Never leave a load suspended.

When you work beneath other operations, such as riveting crews, wear your hardhat. Always wear your hardhat any time there is danger of being struck by a falling object or if other hazards are present.

Working from swing staging is also a dangerous operation. It requires the utmost care to prevent falls of equipment, materials and tools. Make sure all items are secured so they cannot fall.

Let’s all do our share to keep objects from falling. We’ll prevent injury to workers below, as well as to ourselves.