Falling or flying objects on a worksite can expose workers to injuries ranging from cuts and abrasions all the way to concussions or blindness. Working beneath scaffolds or other areas where overhead work is being performed puts workers at risk from falling objects. Flying objects become a concern when workers are using power tools or performing tasks that involve pushing, pulling, or prying. A tool weighing only 8 pounds falling from a height of 200 feet will travel at a speed of nearly 80 miles an hour and can have an impact force of 5540 pounds when it impacts the ground. With this kind of forceful impact, safety nets and drop zones are of little benefit when an object with this kind of mass and speed makes a direct impact on or deflects off another object. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 42,400 "struck by falling object" OSHA recordable incidents every year in the United States. That's nearly 116 injuries caused by falling objects every day or one injury caused by a dropped object every 10 minutes.
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