Dropped Objects and Workplace Falls Kill Hundreds Each Year and Injures Tens of Thousands
ISEA Leads Industry Action on Falls and Dropped Objects with New Safety at Heights Campaign
ARLINGTON, Va., May 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is helping employers reduce the risk of fatalities and injuries from falls and dropped objects in industrial, construction and other occupational settings by launching its 2019 Safety at Heights campaign.
The campaign — which kicks off during Construction Safety Week and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's sixth annual National Safety Stand-Down, both being observed May 6–10 — provides employers and workers educational information at SafetyAtHeights.org. A webinar is planned for May 8, from 10–11 a.m. CST.
Falling and being struck by a dropped object are among the top causes of workplace injuries and fatalities:
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in 2017, "fatal falls were at their highest level in the 26-year history of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), accounting for 887 (17 percent) of worker deaths."
- BLS reported that being struck by falling objects or equipment resulted in 45,940 injuries in 2017 (5.2% of all workplace injuries).
- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dropped objects are the third leading cause of injuries in construction.
"ISEA's fall protection members take very seriously that falls continue to be among the top causes of fatalities in the workplace," said Raymond Mann, Senior Specialist Application Engineer for 3M Fall Protection and Chair of ISEA's Fall Protection Group. "We continually strive to create new fall protection solutions, including custom configurations, using modern technology to help protect the nation's workforce from fall hazards."
In addition to falls, dropped objects also lead to an alarming number of workplace deaths. In response to that hazard, ISEA and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developed a first-in-the-industry standard aimed at helping employers reduce the risk of dropped objects incidents in industrial and occupational settings. ANSI/ISEA 121-2018, American National Standard for Dropped Object Prevention Solutions establishes minimum design, performance, and labeling requirements for solutions and testing that mitigate this hazard.
The standard addresses four active controls, but does not include passive controls. The active controls are anchor attachments, tool attachments, tool tethers and containers (e.g., buckets, pouches). Copies of the standard can be purchased online from ISEA and from ANSI's licensed resellers.
"Every death in the workplace is a tragedy, and ISEA is dedicated to helping industries and employers protect their workers from being injured or killed by falling objects," said Nate Bohmbach, Associate Product Director, Ergodyne and Chair of ISEA's Dropped Object Prevention Group.
See additional details at SafetyAtHeights.org. The ISEA campaign will continue throughout the year, in partnership with the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) and The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
About ISEA
Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is the trade association in the U.S. for personal protective equipment and technologies. Its member companies are world leaders in the design, manufacture, testing and distribution of protective clothing and equipment used in factories, construction sites, hospitals and clinics, farms, schools, laboratories, emergency response and in the home. Since 1933, ISEA has set the standard for the personal protective equipment industry, supporting member companies united in the goal of protecting the health and safety of people worldwide.
SOURCE International Safety Equipment Association
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