Glossary of Dropped Object Prevention Terms
Understanding the terminology used in dropped object prevention is crucial for maintaining a safe work environment. This glossary provides definitions for common terms you'll encounter in the industry and within the DOA Mobile App.
Acceptable Risk
Risk that has been "reduced to a level that can be tolerated by the organization having regard to its legal obligations and its own Occupational Health & Safety policy".
Administrative Controls
"Work practices, work methods, policies and procedures established by the employer with the goal of reducing exposure to a work-related risk and/or hazard". In the context of dropped objects, this includes changing the way people work (e.g., procedures, training, signage).
Anchor Attachments / Anchor Points / Anchorage
Secure points to which tool lanyards are attached. For light tools, these can be on the worker (e.g., tool belt, harness D-ring, wristband); for heavier tools, they must be independent, rated anchor points on a fixed structure. ANSI/ISEA 121 defines them as "attachment solutions applied onto fixed anchor locations like a structure or a worker themselves to create secure connection points for tool tethers".
ANSI/ISEA 121
The "American National Standard for Dropped Object Prevention Solutions," which establishes minimum design, performance, testing, and labeling requirements for active dropped object prevention solutions like tool tethers, tool attachments, anchor attachments, and containers.
At-Height Tools
Tools used in elevated positions, which pose a risk of becoming dropped objects if not properly secured.
Barricade the area / Barricaded Area / Barrier Systems
Physical obstructions designed to prevent personnel from entering hazardous areas (like drop zones) or to contain objects within a specific area. This can range from temporary solutions like tape and signs to engineered systems.
Canopy Structure
An overhead protective structure, like a roof or shield, designed and erected to intercept falling objects before they can reach personnel or sensitive equipment below.
Collisions & Snagging
Incidents involving moving, lifting, or traveling equipment that can cause objects to fall. These are typical causes of dynamic dropped objects.
Containers (for tools and small items) / Tool Pouches / Bolt Bags / Hoist Buckets
Bags, buckets, or pouches, often with secure closures and tethering points, designed to safely carry tools, fasteners, and small components at height.
Control Measures / Preventive Measures / Mitigation Measures / Safeguards
Actions, procedures, or equipment implemented to eliminate identified hazards or reduce associated risk levels to an acceptable point.
Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA)
A structured approach to identify, document, implement, and verify actions taken to correct identified nonconformities and prevent their recurrence.
Dropped Object
An item that falls from a height or its previous static position, which either causes or possesses the potential to cause injury, death, equipment or environmental damage, or a process safety event.
Dropped Object Assessment
A specific type of risk assessment focused on identifying potential dropped objects, evaluating their risks, and determining appropriate control measures to prevent incidents.
Dropped Object Prevention
The overarching goal and set of measures and strategies implemented to stop objects from falling from height.
Dropped Object Zone (DOZ) / Exclusion Zones / Restricted Access Areas / Buffer Zones
Clearly demarcated areas on the ground or lower levels directly beneath where work at height is being performed, or where there is a risk of falling objects, with controlled access.
DROPS Calculator
A tool, often endorsed by DROPS Global, that uses the mass of an object and its fall height to estimate the potential consequences (e.g., severity of injury) of a dropped object.
DROPS (Dropped Objects Prevention Scheme) Global
An industry-led initiative promoting a common, systematic approach to dropped object prevention, particularly influential in sectors like oil and gas.
Dropsafe Barrier
An engineered barrier system, typically made of polymer or steel mesh panels, designed to be attached to guardrails or similar structures. Its purpose is to close off gaps and provide robust containment, preventing tools, equipment, and debris from falling from height.
Dynamic Dropped Object
An item that falls from its previous position as a result of an applied force or an input of energy external to the object itself (e.g., collisions, snagging, impacts, human error during handling).
Elimination (in Hierarchy of Controls)
The "process of removing the hazard from the workplace"; considered the most effective way to control risk.
Engineering Controls
Controls that focus on the "source of the hazard rather than on the employees exposed to the hazard". For dropped objects, this includes physical measures like guardrails, containment systems, toe boards, safety nets, and proper storage solutions.
Engineered Nets
Custom-designed and manufactured netting solutions, often load-rated, used for secondary retention of specific equipment (e.g., lights, speakers, cameras) or as specialized safety barriers to catch falling objects.
Enclosures
Protective casings or structures designed to surround and contain equipment or components. In the context of dropped objects, enclosures can act as a form of secondary retention, preventing parts from falling even if their primary attachments fail.
Environmental Factors
Conditions such as wind, rain, sea motion, ice, snow, extreme heat, or vibration that can compromise the stability and security of equipment, leading to dropped objects.
Falling Objects
A broader term often used by regulatory authorities like OSHA and HSE, encompassing items that fall from height. It can include objects dislodged by natural forces without immediate human interaction.
Fasteners
Hardware devices that mechanically join or affix two or more objects together. Examples include bolts, screws, nuts, rivets, and clips. The failure or loosening of fasteners is a common cause of static dropped objects.
Fatality
An incident resulting in death. In the context of dropped objects, it represents the most severe potential consequence.
Fixed Equipment
Equipment that is installed in a permanent or semi-permanent position at height, such as light fixtures, speakers, junction boxes, CCTV cameras, and other ancillary items. These are susceptible to becoming static dropped objects if not properly secured and maintained.
First-Aid Injury
An injury that is minor and can be treated with basic first aid on-site, typically not requiring professional medical attention from a physician or licensed health care professional.
Guardrail Systems / Handrails
Physical barriers erected along the open edges of elevated platforms, walkways, or floor openings to prevent personnel and objects from falling.
Hard Hat
Essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to protect the head from the impact of falling objects.
Hazard
"A source, situation, or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health, or combination of these". In the context of dropped objects, any item or condition that could lead to an object falling.
Hazard Identification
The foundational step of risk assessment, involving systematically finding, listing, and characterizing all potential hazards (e.g., potential dropped objects) in the workplace.
Height of Drop
The vertical distance an object falls from its original position to the point of impact. This is a critical factor in calculating the potential energy and impact force of a dropped object.
HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment)
A systematic process used to identify potential workplace hazards, analyze the associated risks, and evaluate their significance to determine appropriate control measures.
Hierarchy of Controls
A fundamental principle in occupational safety that prioritizes control measures in a specific order of effectiveness: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Housekeeping
Practices of maintaining a clean, orderly, and organized work area to prevent loose items from becoming dropped objects.
Human Factors
Elements like complacency, human error, neglect, operator error, poor behavior, or inadequate training that contribute significantly to dropped object incidents.
Impact Force
The force generated when a moving object (like a dropped object) strikes another object or surface. It is a key determinant of the potential damage or injury.
Incident Investigation
A systematic process to determine the sequence of events, factual circumstances, contributing factors, and root causes of an incident (including dropped objects) to prevent recurrence.
Inspection & Maintenance
Regular examination and upkeep of equipment, fixtures, and work areas to identify and rectify conditions (e.g., corrosion, damage, wear-and-tear, loose items) that could lead to dropped objects.
Job Safety Analysis (JSA) / Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
A systematic process where a specific job is broken down into steps to identify potential hazards (including dropped objects) and recommend control measures.
Lessons Learned
Knowledge and insights gained from analyzing incidents, near misses, or successful safety interventions, used to improve safety practices and prevent future occurrences.
Likelihood / Probability
The chance or probability that a specific hazardous event (such as a dropped object) will occur.
Locking Devices
Mechanisms or components designed to prevent fasteners (like nuts and bolts) or other parts from unintentionally loosening or disengaging, often due to vibration, stress, or thermal cycling. Examples include lock nuts, split pins, and thread-locking compounds.
Lock Nuts (Self-Locking Nuts)
A type of nut that resists loosening under vibrations and torque. Common types include nylon insert lock nuts (nyloc nuts) and all-metal prevailing torque lock nuts. They are a form of locking device used to secure bolted connections.
Lost Time Injury (LTI)
A work-related injury that results in an employee being unable to return to their regular job duties for one or more full workdays or shifts after the day of the injury.
Lost Time Injury (LTI)
A work-related injury that results in an employee being unable to return to their regular job duties for one or more full workdays or shifts after the day of the injury.
Major Injury
A severe work-related injury that typically requires hospitalization, extensive medical treatment, and may result in long-term disability, significant disfigurement, or chronic illness.
Mass
The measure of the amount of matter in an object, typically expressed in kilograms (kg) or pounds (lb). It is a key factor in calculating the potential impact force of a dropped object.
Medical Treatment Injury
A work-related injury that requires treatment by a physician or other licensed health care professional, beyond simple first aid. This is often a criterion for a recordable injury.
Near Miss
An unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage, but had the clear potential to do so. Reporting near misses is crucial for proactive safety management.
Occupational Risk Assessment
A formalized and systematic method for identifying workplace hazards, analyzing and evaluating the associated risks (including those from dropped objects), and determining appropriate ways to eliminate or control them.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
The primary federal agency in the United States responsible for ensuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. OSHA sets and enforces standards and provides training, outreach, education, and assistance to promote workplace safety, including regulations related to protection from falling objects.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Equipment worn by employees to minimize exposure to hazards. For dropped objects, the primary PPE is a hard hat.
Passive Systems (Passive Dropped Object Prevention Systems)
Engineered controls or safety measures that, once installed, work continuously to prevent dropped objects or mitigate their consequences without requiring ongoing human action from personnel. Examples include guardrails, toe boards, safety netting, and canopy structures.
Primary Retention / Primary Fixing
The principal method or engineered system by which an item is initially secured in its intended position (e.g., bolts, clamps, welds).
Protection from falling objects
Terminology predominantly used by OSHA (USA) when addressing hazards and protection requirements related to objects falling from height.
Recordable Injury
A work-related injury or illness that meets specific criteria defined by regulatory bodies (such as OSHA) for inclusion in an employer's injury and illness records.
Reliable Securing
A term and philosophy central to DROPS Global, referring to the comprehensive and diligent selection, installation, inspection, and maintenance of all fastenings, fixings, and securing mechanisms for equipment at height, emphasizing both primary and secondary retention.
Risk
"The combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event or exposure(s) and severity of injury or ill health that can be caused by the event or exposure(s)".
Risk Analysis
The process of comprehending the nature of a hazard (e.g., why an object might fall) and determining the level of risk by considering causes, consequences, and likelihood.
Risk Assessment
The "process of evaluating the risk(s) arising from a hazard(s), taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether or not the risk(s) is acceptable".
Risk Evaluation
The process of comparing the estimated risk against pre-defined risk criteria to determine the significance of the risk and whether it requires treatment.
Risk Matrix
A tool used in risk assessment to define and categorize the level of risk by considering the intersection of the likelihood (probability) of an event and the severity of its potential consequences.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
A problem-solving methodology to identify the most fundamental, underlying reasons why an incident occurred, looking beyond immediate causes to address systemic issues.
Safety Nets / Netting (Debris Nets, Catch Platforms, Guard Nets)
Various types of netting systems installed below work areas, around equipment, or along perimeters to catch falling objects, debris, or personnel.
Safety Wires
Wires, often stainless steel, used as a secondary retention method to secure components (e.g., bolts, fixtures) and prevent them from loosening or falling due to vibration or primary attachment failure. Wire locking is a common application.
Screens
Rigid or semi-rigid panels, often wire mesh or solid material, used with guardrail systems to provide a more complete barrier against falling objects.
Secondary Retention / Secondary Securing / Secondary Drop System / Fail Safe
Backup systems, devices, or additional measures (e.g., safety wires, retaining straps, nets for fixtures) designed to prevent an object from falling if its primary retention method fails.
Severity / Consequence
The extent of harm, damage, or loss that could result if a hazardous event (like a dropped object) occurs.
Slings
Lengths of wire rope, chain, synthetic rope, or webbing used for lifting, hoisting, or as a secondary retention method to secure equipment at height. They can be configured in various ways to support or tether an item.
Split Pins (Cotter Pins)
Metal fasteners with two tines that are bent during installation to secure them in place. They are commonly used to secure castellated nuts, clevis pins, or other types of fasteners, preventing them from loosening or backing out.
Static Dropped Object
An object that falls from its previous, stationary position solely under the influence of gravity, without any external force being applied (e.g., due to corrosion, vibration, improper securing).
Substitution (in Hierarchy of Controls)
The "process of implementing a less hazardous process in place of a more hazardous process".
The "3 T's" (Trapping, Tethering, Topping)
A framework for active tool-focused prevention:
Topping: Using secure containers (e.g., bags, buckets with closable tops) to transport tools
and
small parts at height.
Trapping: Installing or creating a secure attachment point on a tool or anchor location.
Tethering: Connecting the "trapped" tool to an anchor point using an appropriate tool
lanyard.
Toe Boards / Kickplates
Solid, vertical barriers installed at the base of guardrails or along edges of working surfaces to prevent tools and materials from rolling or being kicked off.
Toolbox Talks
Short, informal safety meetings conducted at the worksite before the start of a shift or task. They focus on specific job-related hazards, safe work practices, and recent safety incidents or concerns, including dropped object risks.
Tool Attachments / Attachment Points (on tools) / Tool Traps
Devices or methods used to create a secure connection point on a tool itself for tethering, especially for tools not manufactured with built-in points.
Tool Lanyards / Tethers / Connectors
Flexible straps, coils, or cables with connectors designed to link a tool to an anchor point. Variations include wrist, coil, retractable, and traditional lanyards.
Tool Tail
A short, often looped, piece of strong material (e.g., webbing, wire, or specialized fabric) that is securely attached to a tool to create a rated connection point for a tool lanyard. Tool tails are used when a tool does not have an integrated attachment point and are typically affixed using methods like cinching, adhesive, or heat-shrink sleeves.
Tool Tethering / Tethering Systems
The practice and systems for securing tools and portable items to an anchor point to prevent them from falling if dropped during use or transport at height.
Warning Signs / Labels / Tags
Visual communication tools to alert personnel to overhead hazards, drop zones, PPE requirements, or equipment status.
Work at Heights / Working at Height
Any work performed in an elevated position where there is a risk of falling or dropping objects.
Zero Drops™
An aspirational goal and philosophy, particularly associated with DROPS Global and some companies, aiming to eliminate all dropped object incidents.