Potential dropped object identified during rope access operations

Description of Incident

Whilst completing equipment checks via rope access on an offshore installation, a Technician noticed a potential dropped object (PDO) at a height of approximately 10 meters. The object was still attached, but was easily removed by hand, and could have dropped to the deck below.

The object, a piece of heavily corroded ladder rack, was approximately 1 meter in length and weighed 3kg. Using the Drops calculator, this indicates that if the object had fallen and struck somebody it would have likely resulted in a fatality.

The area below the object was not a walkway, so the likelihood of anyone being below would be low, however the potential for personal harm and equipment damage is still significant.

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Good Practice Guidance

• Complete regular dynamic risk assessments / 20 second scans to identify potential hazards

• If you identify potential hazards, raise them for rectification and / or stop the job

• Ensure a systemic process of PDO identification and removal is in place at your site and consider areas that might not be immediately accessible and visible