Falling objects are a known risk on any job site, but health and safety regulators have come crashing down with a major warning about how dangerous these incidents can be.
Falling objects are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in the construction industry while also posing risks to members of the public who pass by.
And now WorkSafe has called on tradies to take greater precautions as alarming numbers reveal the scale of the problem.
Reporting shows more than 280 construction workers have been injured by falling objects since 2023, with plenty more near-misses as construction workers and even members of the public dodge falling objects from active sites.
If dropped from above a certain height, even small items can be surprisingly dangerous: a falling bolt hits with the force of a fast motorcycle, while a sledgehammer plummeting from height has the impact of a city bus.
WorkSafe recently released a new video demonstrating the dangers of falling objects, reconstructing a 2020 incident where a sprinkler head fell 26 storeys from a Melbourne job site.
The sprinkler head hit the ground at over 153 kilometres per hour – the same force as a car crash – narrowly missing several workers.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin urged workers to watch the video, which uses investigation findings to recreate the incident.
“Every year, hundreds of workers are seriously injured by falling objects,” WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin explained.
“Alarmingly, WorkSafe inspectors continue to see near misses where objects fall from construction sites – and it’s only luck that prevents someone below from being seriously injured.”
Mr Jenkins suggested tradies and construction bosses to use Work Safe’s new Dropped Object Calculator to estimate the potential damage caused by a falling item.
Deadly Drops
The 2020 incident marked the beginning of a spate of drop disasters, with several near-misses and workplace place injuries occurring across Victoria in the following years.
Since the start of 2023, WorkSafe has taken enforcement actions against ten construction firms for incidents involving falling objects, resulting in over $1.05 million in fines, costs, and penalties.
September 2024: An 850mm steel smoke baffle fell from level 21 of a South Yarra construction site, crashing onto a public road.
April 2024: A 50mm piece of render dropped from a CBD site’s fourth floor, striking a pedestrian on Rose Lane.
November 2023: A checker plate fell from a level-six hoist on a CBD site, landing in an unlocked exclusion zone.
December 2022: A 12kg mounting bracket plummeted 34 storeys onto Collins Street, narrowly missing pedestrians below.
March 2022: A 12kg steel plate fell from a South Melbourne high-rise, nearly hitting a worker on the ground.
Stricter safety protocols needed
Construction safety experts say these incidents expose the potentially deadly impact of falling objects, underscoring the need for stricter preventative measures to safeguard workers and the public.
The message is clear: the dangers of falling objects can’t be ignored, and businesses must take responsibility to fix and address any safety lapses.
Tradies and construction companies can employ several crucial safety measures to prevent and reduce the risk of falling object incidents and improve overall site safety:
Safety musts to dodge falling object risks
- Assemble equipment off-site to minimise work at heights.
- Secure objects with containment systems, isolation, or engineering solutions.
- Use guardrails with mesh panels and kickboards.
- Set up ground-level exclusion zones with barricades around high-risk areas.
- Install perimeter screens, overhead gantries, and enclosed scaffolding.
- Use signage and line markings to alert workers to risks.
- Monitor windy conditions that can exacerbate risks and stop work.
- Regular inspections of all elevated platforms and scaffolding.
- Use nets or covers on open spaces to catch any loose materials.
- Train workers on proper handling and storage of materials at height.
“Things like gaps in safety screens on mid and high-rise construction sites, missing kickboards on scaffolding, or loose materials coming unrestrained while being lifted can have devastating consequences,” Mr Jenkin warned.
