It has been over a year since the adoption of the ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 Standard for Dropped Object Prevention Solutions. The ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 standard “establishes minimum design, performance, testing, and labeling requirements for solutions that reduce dropped objects incidents in industrial and occupational settings.” ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 looks to mitigate injuries from tools workers use just as the ANSI Z359 suite of fall protection standards protects the workers themselves.

Injury and death rates from dropped objects continue to be a stubborn factor across all industries, and the adoption of standards specific to mitigating these injuries and deaths will be an important (and increasingly visible) part of working at height.

Talking the Talk Just as ANSI Z359 codified certain equipment categories that have now become colloquial across the fall protection industry, ANSI/ISEA 121 has also introduced new equipment categories that will be just as frequently used. Most of these categories have been used informally across jobsites already, but the adoption of ANSI/ISEA 121 as a general standard formalizes the definitions to provide clarity and consistency across all industries when talking about dropped object prevention. The major equipment categories are:

Walking the Walk Like all fall protection applications, assembling a dropped objects prevention solution takes a little forethought, and there are a few things to remember when selecting attachment points, tethers, or containers. 1. The location or type of Tool Attachment should not interfere with the ergonomics or usability of the tool. If a Tool Attachment point must be mounted to the handle or grip of a tool, ensure the tool can be used in the same manner as if the attachment were not present. The attachment point should not increase the potential risk of dropping the tool. 2. Anchor Attachment points should be selected in order of preference: 1) structure, 2) waist, and 3) wrist. 3. Always choose the shortest Tool Tether possible. While it might seem convenient to just purchase a handful of tethers with a one-size-fits-all mentality, keeping tethers short reduces the possibility of entanglement, especially around moving or rotating equipment. Bungie or retractable Tool Tethers keep material tight to the body and do not sag when the tool is in use. 4. Know and adhere to Tool Tether weight limits. Standard for Dropped Objects Understanding ANSI/ISEA 121-2018. BY BAXTER BYRD Prapat Aowsakorn/Shutterstock.com 5. Try to limit tool weight to six pounds per Tool Tether when connected to a worker’s body. The greater the tool weight, the greater chance of the worker’s balance being disrupted in the event of a drop, and this especially when using a wrist style Anchor Attachment. Consider the potential effects on a worker’s balance if a six pound grinder were dropped at arm’s length and was attached to the worker’s wrist versus their waist. 6. Like every other piece of fall protection equipment, all dropped objects solutions should be inspected before each use and replaced immediately if found to be damaged or otherwise compromised.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.

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