Protection from falling objects
Principal contractors and relevant people must take precautions to ensure that objects do not fall onto or hit people doing construction work and people in adjoining areas. Adjoining areas could include a public footpath, road, square or the yard of a dwelling or other building beside a workplace.
Objects including equipment, material, tools and debris that can fall or be emitted sideways or upwards are considered as falling objects. Examples of falling objects include tools falling off a working platform, rock and soil falling into a trench, falling bricks deflected off the side of a building, and concrete pre-cast panels falling over.
Refer to the Falling objects and construction work - Legislative application (PDF, 147 KB) to determine principal contractor and relevant persons compliance with obligations for falling object risks.
Principal contractors
For housing and civil construction work, principal contractors must assess the risk from falling objects and use controls to prevent or minimise the risks. The controls chosen must comply with any regulatory requirements.
For construction work that is not civil or housing construction work, the principal contractor must implement one of the following controls based on the angle between the highest point where work is to be carried out and the line where the control will be placed:
- barricade or hoarding at least 900mm high ≤15°
- hoarding at least 1800mm high >15° and ≤30°
- fully sheeted hoarding at least 1800mm high >30°;and
- if the angle is equal to or more than 75° and not demolition work or work erecting or dismantling formwork:
- erect a gantry
- close the adjoining area
- erect a catch platform with vertical sheeting or perimeter screening.
For demolition work or work to erect or dismantle formwork, the principal contractor must:
- close the adjoining area, or
- erect perimeter containment screening.
However, if permission to close the adjoining area is withheld and perimeter containment screening cannot be erected, the principal contractor must ensure that another control measure is implemented to prevent objects falling on or otherwise hitting members of the public.
The public must be kept out of an adjoining area where loads are being lifted, unless a gantry that would withstand the force of the load if it fell, has been provided.
Relevant people
Where a principal contractor is not required for the construction work, the relevant person must comply with the principal contractor’s obligations outlined above.
Refer to Part 17 of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 (PDF, 1.4 MB) for specific requirements on control measures for protecting people from falling objects.
Last updated 22 July 2008