The majority of industries worldwide experience a load being lifted somewhere along the supply/production lines. To be specific, a lifted load is commonly classified as a load that is being lifted, manipulated, lowered, or carried in a way that could potentially pose a risk to workers. As of 2018, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that over 50,000 lifted load injuries are documented annually.
The Fall Zone
According to OSHA, a fall zone is defined as “the area including, but not limited to, the area directly beneath the load.” Current regulations prohibit workers from standing in the area under any kind of raised load, other than an employee that is tasked with hooking, unhooking, or guiding.
The Importance of Avoiding the Fall Zone
Given the nature of dealing with overhead loads, there are many different factors to take into consideration when determining what is safe and what isn’t. The biggest concern related to overhead loads is usually judging what a safe distance is to maintain from the load.
The fall zone’s size is directly correlated to the complexity of the load itself. When evaluating the fall zone, factors such as material, weight, shape, and height need to be considered. Higher load weight and height usually result in the fall zone being larger. The shape of the load is important to take into account because a fall zone will not always be a perfect square or circle. A complex shape of the load will result in the fall zone matching the complexity of the load’s shape.
Safety Tips for Consideration:
Maintain a minimum of a ten-foot radius from where the load could fall. Should the load be higher, increase the radius.
Refrain from guiding loads over workers or commonly used walkways.
Understand the path that the load will follow if it moves.
Conduct a sufficient amount of training with any worker who is directly involved in the handling of a load or anyone who may come in indirect contact with it.
Maintain a level of safety through sufficient communication and warnings of potential hazards.
Remember that outside work can be greatly influenced by weather factors like wind and rain.
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