Tool Tethering: Keep Your Tools Secure When Working At Height

By Rick Pedley, Contributor

Protecting people on the ground from falling objects is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of working safely at height.

When addressing the safety challenges of working at heights, much of the focus is on worker fall prevention and fall arrest systems. Another critical yet often overlooked aspect is protecting people on the ground from falling objects. While secondary safety systems like helmets or hard hats, nets, and designated drop zones work in theory, there are numerous real-world variables and unique environmental conditions these cannot effectively guard against.

This article explores the dangers of falling objects, essential safety controls, and the significance of tool tethering in implementing effective prevention systems for your workplace.

The Dangers of Falling Objects

Falling objects can easily cause serious injury or even death. To put this in perspective, if an eight-pound wrench falls 200 feet down, it can approach a speed of 80 miles per hour and produce an impact force of 5,540 pounds. The typical hard hat simply doesn’t offer enough protection against that kind of velocity. Even smaller objects, such as drill bits, nuts, and bolts, can turn into dangerous projectiles that could cause significant harm.

In 2014, the New York Times reported that a man died after a one-pound tape measure slipped off a construction worker’s belt while working 400 feet above. The accident led to the suspension of work on one of New Jersey’s largest development projects.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2022, 238 workers lost their lives and over 45,000 workers sustained injuries after they were struck by objects falling from heights. Meanwhile, the 2023 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index ranks “struck by objects or equipment” as one of the most costly work accidents, with the direct cost to employers (based on medical expenses and lost wages) amounting to an estimated $6.09 billion.

Falling Object Prevention 101

Like any other workplace safety hazard, preventing injuries from falling objects requires putting various controls in place. Consider the following to make your at-height work safer for the people on the ground:

Minimize Tool Fall Hazards

Eliminate tool fall hazards where possible and make appropriate substitutions when it’s not. For instance, using ground-based mechanical systems for tasks usually performed at height can eliminate the need for handling tools above ground. When this isn’t feasible, using safety equipment, such as tethered or magnetic tools, can significantly reduce the potential risks.

Use Passive Fall Protection Systems

For example, guardrails with toeboards and tool canopies with side protection help prevent tools and materials from falling off edges and shield people below from dropped objects. Additionally, mesh netting and screens can catch or contain falling objects, while floor or hole coverings prevent items from falling through openings.

Use Properly-Rated Tool Tethers

Tool tethers are critical for arresting falling objects and preventing them from becoming hazardous projectiles. Properly-rated equipment, including tool lanyards, connectors, and anchor points attached to belts or harnesses, ensure that tools remain securely attached to workers even if they are dropped. You can also provide workers with holsters, pouches, and transport buckets and packs to safely contain other essential objects and materials.

Create a Falling Object Zone

Finally, creating a falling object zone alerts workers on the ground to potential hazards and helps keep bystanders and unauthorized personnel from entering the area. This typically involves setting up physical barriers, such as cones, tape, or fencing, to mark the restricted area and posting clear signage to indicate the risk of dropped objects.

Tool Tethers: What You Need to Know

Tool tethers are essential safety accessories for anyone working at heights. In addition to preventing serious injury to people on the ground, these tool fall protection systems mitigate the risk of damaging expensive equipment. Tool tethers come in various forms, including wristbands, retractable lanyards, and carabiners, each offering a secure method to keep tools attached to the user or a solid structure.

The American National Standards Institute and International Safety Equipment Association developed ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 specifically for products that prevent dropped object incidents. This standard outlines the minimum design, performance, labeling, and testing requirements for tool fall prevention products.

To select the appropriate tool tether for your specific applications, consider the following key factors:

Weight Capacity: Tool tethers must be rated for the weight of the tools they’re intended to secure, as exceeding the load capacity can lead to failures and potential injury to the user. We recommend limiting the tool weight to six pounds per tether to avoid compromising worker balance in the event of a drop.

Attachment Points: The tethers must securely attach to both the tool and the worker. Most solutions from trusted manufacturers like Protective Industrial Products (PIP) use a combination of carabiners, D-rings, quick-connect clips, and quick-wrap tape to equip their tool tethers with secure attachment points. Meanwhile, products with swiveling attachment points help prevent tethers from twisting and tangling, providing the worker with greater freedom of movement.

Length and Reach: Tethers should be long enough for workers to comfortably use tools without excess slack that could cause tripping or snagging hazards. Tethers with adjustable lengths offer optimum versatility for different tasks and tool sizes.

Ease of Use: Workers should be able to attach and detach tools from the tethers seamlessly. Quick-release mechanisms and simple attachment points improve efficiency and ensure workers can use tools as intended. These can be particularly important for ensuring tools are always tied off when workers need to pass them to a colleague.

Different environments require specific types of tool fall protection. For example, coiled tool tethers stretch and retract as needed and provide freedom of movement while maintaining a secure connection to the tool. This makes them ideal for dynamic work environments. Meanwhile, lanyards made from robust materials like nylon webbing are designed to withstand heavy use and harsh conditions.

Making the Change

For any business consistently engaging with at-height work, fall prevention involves preventing anything from falling, whether people, tools, or equipment. We recommend consulting a workplace safety specialist if you need help developing a comprehensive fall protection program. These experts can work with safety managers to assess application- and site-specific hazards, select the appropriate safety solutions, and conduct the necessary training to educate workers on their proper use and maintenance.

Rick Pedley is the President and CEO, PK Safety (pksafety.com).