Preventing tools and equipment from being dropped or knocked from heights is crucial. Falling objects were the fourth highest cause of workplace fatalities in Australia from 2015–2019 and caused an average of 18 deaths over five years, with 15 fatalities in 2018 alone.
Falling objects were, and are, responsible for a significant number of workplace injuries, resulting in 3600 compensation claims from 2013–14.
Factoring in the impact that lost or irretrievable tools have on productivity, falling objects also add additional time and financial costs to businesses. Any trade or task involving heights and the need to use tools, or where a hard hat should be worn, should use tool lanyards and tethers.
How to tether tools:
Tethering is the act of attaching tools or equipment to an anchor point to prevent them falling and potentially causing injuries or worse.
There are three main considerations when tethering tools:
- The tether point
- The anchor point
- Tool lanyards which connect the anchor and tether point
As not all tools have an attachment point, there are tether points that can be fitted to the tool without damaging it or limiting its use.
Lanyards are then attached to anchor points. Belt loops on pants or jeans should not be used as an anchor point and you should only tether tools up to 2.5 kilos to a waist or tool belt. Heavier tools and objects should be attached to a secure, load-rated anchor. A proper risk assessment should be conducted to identify the suitability of the structure to be used as an anchor point, as well as potential impacts to the surrounding environment.
Some harnesses also have built-in tool belt loops for direct attachment.
While there are currently no standards in Australia for tool lanyards, companies such as LINQ have adopted the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard as a baseline for products. The ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 standard includes design, testing, performance and labelling requirements for tool tethering systems. Using this standard, LINQ tethering products are rated based on their safe working load.
For further details, view the ProChoice blog post on tool tethering here
