Westmark BV’s online platform does not guard against bird droppings, comets or asteroids falling from the sky, but instead focuses on accidents arising from items that fall from multi-level worksites. Dropped object risks account for a significant number of severe accidents in the offshore and other labor intensive industries. The new website offers simple and affordable solutions to prevent such accidents and improve safety.

According to the Health & Safety Executive Offshore Division, approximately 55% of all accidents on board a drilling rig or well operating platform are caused by dropped objects. The other 45% of accidents are caused by falling from heights, slips, trips and falls, handling or tools and machinery operations.

Working at heights, beneath scaffolding or areas where overhead work is being performed puts workers and the public below at risk of being injured by dropped objects. A dropped object is, according to oil & gas multinational Chevron, “Any object, with the potential to cause death, injury or equipment/environmental damage that falls from its previous static position under its own weight.”

The following items are considered dropped objects:

• Hand tools being used at heights
• Hand tools/equipment left behind after working at height
• Equipment mounted at a height that, following contact, vibration or environmental conditions, could fall, i.e., piping, lights, cameras, rigging gear, etc.
• Lifting operations

According to Westmark BV, www.preventdrops.com provides tools for safety engineers to prevent and mitigate against the risk of dropped objects. The online platform offers advice and simple solutions to keep employees and contractors safe while working at multi-level worksites.

Source: www.worldoil.com