About
Dropsafe
Drops risks have been recognised in the O&G sector for a number of years, leading to the adoption of a measure of self-regulation when it comes to Drops prevention. However, in Offshore Wind, the risks posed by Dropped Objects have only recently been recognised, and there is a lack of clarity in the industry regarding best practise in Drops prevention.
Dropsafe has drawn attention to this problem in its whitepaper, ‘The Neglected Hazard’, which outlines the current situation regarding Drops prevention in offshore wind. An example of the real costs of failing to mitigate Drops risks is given in the report, using the case of a worker who was struck on the arm by a 50kg steel coil. The company was forced to pay a fine and costs totalling almost £80,000, because it was found to have failed to put adequate Drops prevention solutions in place. The incident resulted in negative coverage from national press for the company involved, causing further reputational damage.
The 2018 incident data report from G+ Global Offshore Wind Health & Safety Organisation shows that there has been an improvement from 2017 to 2018 in terms of the number of Drops incidents. However, ‘The Neglected Hazard’ highlights that Drops reporting is still inconsistent and unreliable. There is clearly work to be done by the offshore wind industry to ensure that Drops risks are mitigated as far as possible.
Dropsafe has a range of innovative products to mitigate all major Drops risks. This includes the Dropsafe Barrier, used to prevent Drops from walkways, stairwells and raised working platforms, that can be installed on permanent or temporary installations. The Dropsafe Nets, stainless steel wire mesh that are installed directly onto overhead fixtures such as lights, CCTV and speakers. The Dropsafe Nets are recognised as an industry standard, and fully customisable. Finally, the Dropsafe Pouch, which is designed to securely encase and tether handheld items used while working at height. These items include radios, multimeters and spray canisters.
The offshore wind industry has made some progress in tackling the Drops risk, but there is still a significant distance to go. If you would like to find out more about Dropsafe’s work in Drops prevention, please visit www.dropsafe.com
