Sparks Electrical News October 2019

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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TOOLS FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT D ropped objects are a major source of incidents on site. At best, a dropped tool accident causes a significant loss of time and money. At worst, a dropped tool accident can cause permanent injury to an employee and even result in death. Every year, companies spend millions and countless hours cleaning up the damage caused by dropped tools. Knowledge is power; with proper education paired with the right tools, you can decrease your chances of experiencing a dropped tool accident. In 2014, a tape measure was dislodged from the belt of a construction worker in New Jersey, USA, while performing work an estimated 50 stories above ground. The tape measure dropped nearly 150 m before ricocheting off some equipment and striking a delivery man who was not wearing a hardhat. Tragically, this incident caused a fatality, highlighting the dangers presented by falling tools.

What is a dropped tool accident and its effect? Any time people are working on site there is a risk of a dropped tool ac- cident. Dropped tool accidents can happen at any time. A worker using a knife at ground level could drop his or her tool and potentially have it land on their foot. Or, a worker could drop a hammer from a level of 30 m above ground, killing a worker below. Adverse weather and tem- perature, fatigue, lack of proper grip, a sloppy work site, stress, time con- straints, and lack of pre-shift preparation all increase the chances of a dropped tool accident. Unfortunately, even small tools dropped from a seemingly non-threatening height pose an extreme threat. The direct and indirect impact of a dropped tool accident can be measured at the micro level (its effect on an employee and the employee’s family) to the macro level (the impact of the accident on the business organisation as well as the customer served by the business). Injuries, fatalities, medical and insurance costs, and hiring and training new employees to replace

injured employees are all examples of the direct and indirect costs of a dropped tool accident. HellermannTyton supplies a range of anti-drop products and solutions that have been designed to control and prevent object dropping when working at height. These products have been designed to allow a comfortable, productive and efficient use of tools while assuring workers’ and equipment safety against object dropping. Ideal for many manufacturing, construction, installation and maintenance activities, both onshore and offshore, applications include oil rigs, wind turbines, power lines, cranes, buildings, scaffoldings, bridges, telecom towers, airplane maintenance and mining to name a few. “If you are tired of having to climb down the scaffolding to retrieve a dropped tool, then make sure it’s an anti-drop tool,” says Ryan Burger, Divisional Product Manager at HellermannTyton. “It will save you time and money on top of the safety aspects, and can prevent tools from breaking when dropped.” The range consists of:

• Anti-Drop tools with heat shrink system: These tools have been carefully designed not only to avoid accidental dropping, but also to ensure maximum safety. All tools are equipped with a heat shrink system which offers superior safety compared to other systems, such as directly holding tools with a knot. The heat shrink sys- tem doesn’t jeopardise the integrity of the tool, by, for instance, drilling a hole through it, so the mastic-lined heat shrink system doesn’t affect the mechanical properties of the tool. “We even offer custom branding of the tools for corpora- tions,” Burger notes. • Lanyards: Designed for maximum safety, as well as optimum working freedom, the vari- ous systems provide all required solutions for comfortable and safe use at height, while as- suring best shock absorption. In load testing, the lanyard is attached to an anchor point and the weight is applied to the other end. Then the weight is elevated and dropped vertically, five times. The lanyard is then attached to an anchor point for the pendular test and the weight is ap- plied to the other end. Then the weight is el- evated above the anchorage point and dropped, five times. For the static load test, the lanyard is attached to an anchor point and the weight is applied to the other end for 10 minutes. “The lanyard system ensures that tools are always easily available for workers, and at the same time conforms to non-drop directives. Anti-drop tools have been a standard overseas, but are eventually becoming more regularly used in South Africa,” says Burger. All it takes is one dropped tool accident to end a life, destroy a community, and annihilate a busi- ness. Companies that prioritise customer demand over the safety and health of their organisation set themselves up for disaster. Organisations that invest in safety tools and safety tool-training programmes will save time, money, and protect the health of their workforce.

Enquiries: www.hellermanntyton.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

OCTOBER 2019