Workplace impact hazards

1. Understanding and
Mitigating Impact
Hazards
JOEY SPEER

2. What is an impact hazard?
 All impact hazards are made possible by two factors coming
together:
1) Acceleration
2) Impact
STRUCK BY an object:Caused by the an object accelerated by gravity
or some other force and the resulting impact of that object on a
person’s body.
OR
STRUCK AGAINST an object: By a person accelerated by gravity(fall) or
some other force and the resulting impact of that person striking an
object or surface.

3. Accelerated object impacts with a
person’s body
 STRUCK BY AN OBJECT:
 An object can be accelerated by:
-gravity and strike the body/part of a body below its height
- an environmental force from a machine, fellow worker, weather, etc. and
strike a person.

4. Common Examples of Struck By:
 Gravity: falling tools from catwalk or ladder, weight dropped on foot,
something slides off a roof, a supportive actuator malfunctions, etc.
 An environmental force: hammer slips out of hand, motor flings out debris,
malfunctioning nailgun propels nail, shrapnel from boiler explosion, car
runs you over, unexpected pressure release from hydraulic or pneumatic
systems, winds blow debris, metal particulate from grinding flies into eyes,
etc.

6. Accelerated body impacts with an
object or surface
 STRUCK AGAINST AN OBJECT:
 A person’s body can be accelerated by
-gravity in the case of a fall (usually caused by a slip or trip)
-an environmental force from a machine, fellow worker, etc.
-an miscontrolled force provided by the person (running, swinging
appendages, uncontrolled high speed movement, etc.)

7. Common examples of Struck Against:
 Gravity: Slips and Trips causing Falls, unsupportive elevated surface gives way
(scaffolding, ladder), Fall prevention system malfunctions, etc.
 An environmental force: a coworker who doesn’t see you pushes you into a
machine, an industrial actuator pushes you into a wall with great force,
malfunctioning forklift slams you into something
 Miscontrolled personal movement: you’re rushing and run into a screen/glass door,
machine, etc, try to stand up in a confined space and hit head, telling a riveting
story using body language and smack your hand, get angry and kick something,
etc.

9. Being struck by an object often leads to being struck against an object.
An accelerated object impacting your body could cause your body to
accelerate or fall and impact the ground or another surface.

10. The Cost of Unmitigated Impact Hazards
 Medical Bills
 Compensation
 Lost Time
 Overtime
 Damaged Equipment
 Customer Relations
 Employee Relations
 Root Cause Fixes
 Additional Training
 Investigation
 Litigation
 OSHA Paperwork and Fines
 Updating Standard Operating Procedures
 Pain
 Loss of Quality of Life
 Death
 And more!

11. Most Common Impact Injuries
 Bruising/Contusions
 Abrasion/Avulsion/Laceration/Puncture/Incision
 Concussions
 Fractures/Breaks
 Dislocations
 Herniated Discs
 Tendons Ligaments Fascia Injury
 Whiplash
 Brain Injuries
 Death

12. What percent of workplace injuries are a
result of impact hazards?

13. Impact Hazard Crossover
 Impact Hazards are a facet of any other hazard which involves the body
being struck by or against an object:
o Mechanical Hazards
o Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout)
o Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards
o Ladder Hazards
o Lifting Hazards
o Forklift Hazards
o Pressure Hazards
o Electrical Hazards
o Confined Space Hazards
o Hazards presented by Violence in the Workplace

14. Engineering and Administrative Controls for
Hazards Associated with Impacts:
o The most effective tool a worker has in preventing Impact Hazards is proper TRAINING on Standard Working
Procedures, which build a sense of awareness of all possible workplace hazards.
o There are a long list of additional Engineering and Administrative controls which can help to prevent hazards
involving impacts.
o Mechanical Hazards- training, machine guarding, proper layout
o Hazardous Energy Control- training, proper lockout/tagout, clear communication
o Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards- proper layout, signage, fall protection (guardrail/safety
net/personal fall arrest system)
o Ladder Hazards- training, signage, fall protection
o Lifting Hazards- training, proper lifting apparatus/number of people, clear communication
o Forklift Hazards- training, proper layout, clear communication
o Pressure Hazards- training, proper pressure relief systems, proper storage , proper layout
o Electrical Hazards- training, proper grounding, ground fault interrupters, circuit breakers/fuses
o Confined Space Hazards- training, signage, ventilation, identify exposure levels
o Violence- screen potential employees, zero-tolerance policy, tolerance
training, offer counseling, establish threat-management and
emergency response team

15. Awareness born from training in
Standard Working Procedures
eliminates most Impact Hazards:
 Proper JHA is key to identifying possible Impact Hazards, as they are a component of
nearly every other type of hazard.
 A complete JHA will allow for the development of best Engineering and Administrative
Controls.
 Assuming best possible mitigation through Engineering and Administrative Controls,
impact hazards are best avoided by developing and maintaining an acute awareness of
the working environment.
 This awareness is born from thorough training and a complete knowledge of standard
working procedures.
 To protect against impacts in unavoidable hazardous situations, proper Personal
Protective Equipment is the last line of defense.

16. Mitigation of Impact Hazards Using Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Types of PPE which mitigate impact hazards:
 Head Protection
 Eye/Face Protection
 Foot/Leg Protection
 Fall Protection
 (electrical/respiratory protection)

17. Head Protection (PPE)
* Note: .Bump caps. are not ANSI-approved hard
hats. They do not provide the required penetration
protection from impact forces or falling objects.
However, they may be used in tight spaces where
minor bumps and abrasions are the problem.
There are two types of hard hats to choose
• Type 1 hard hats protect from objects that
are falling from above. They do not have
any side protection from blunt force.
• Type II hard hats have to meet vertical and
lateral penetration and impact
requirements. These have a foam inner
liner.

18. Hard Hat Testing
 Impact (at top): 8lb steel ball impactor at 13mph (from 5ft above), can’t
transmit more than 850ftlb
 Apex penetration: 2.2lb pointed steel penetrator at 16mph (from 6ft
above), cannot reach head
TYPE I and TYPE II
 Impact (lateral): 11 lb. head form donning a hard hat dropped from 6 ft onto anvils
 Off-center penetration: 2.2lb pointed steel penetrator dropped from 4 ft, cannot reach head
 Chin strap retention: 22lb dropped 4ft tries to pull helmet off head/break strap
TYPE II ONLY

19. Hard Hats
 In general, protective helmets or hard hats should do the following:
 Resist penetration by objects.
 Absorb the shock of a blow.
 Be water-resistant and slow burning.
 Have clear instructions explaining proper adjustment and replacement of the suspension and headband.
 Protective headgear must meet ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard Z89.1-1986 (Protective
Headgear for Industrial Workers) or provide an equivalent level of protection. Helmets purchased before July
5, 1994 must comply with the earlier ANSI Standard (Z89.1-1969) or provide equivalent protection.
Hard hats with any of the following defects should be removed from service and replaced:
 Perforation, cracking, or deformity of the brim or shell;
 Indication of exposure of the brim or shell to heat, chemicals or ultraviolet light and other radiation (in
addition to a loss of surface gloss, such signs include chalking or flaking).
Always replace a hard hat if it sustains an impact, even if damage is not noticeable. Suspension systems
are offered as replacement parts and should be replaced when damaged or when excessive wear is
noticed. (Reverse Donning? Hat under Helmet?)

20. Eye/Face Protection (PPE)
 The eye and face protection selected for employee use must clearly identify the
manufacturer. Any new eye and face protective devices must comply with ANSI Z87.1-
1989 or be at least as effective as this standard requires. Any equipment purchased
before this requirement took effect on July 5, 1994, must comply with the earlier ANSI
Standard (ANSI Z87.1-1968) or be shown to be equally effective.

23. Eye Protection Ratings/Testing
The two ratings for eye protection are Basic Impact and High Impact:
Basic Impact and High Impact TESTS:
 Impact-test: 1 in steel ball free fall from 4ft
 Penetration test: Must resist penetration from Singer needle with 44g weight dropped from 4ft
 High-mass impact test: Measures protection from heavy, pointed objects at low speeds (500 gram
impactor with 1 mm tip dropped from 4ft)
High Impact only TEST:
 High-velocity impact test: Measures protection from high-velocity, low-mass projectiles (1/4 in
steel balls at 100-170mph)
 Lenses with a High Impact rating will be marked with a “+” sign on the lens.
 Carpenters, plumbers, and most laborers in the industrial/manufacturing sectors require high
impact rated eye protection.

24. Foot/Leg Protection (PPE)
 Metatarsal guards: protect the instep area from impact and compression.
Made of aluminum, steel, fiber or plastic, these guards may be strapped to the
outside of shoes.
 Toe guards: fit over the toes of regular shoes to protect the toes from impact
and compression hazards. They may be made of steel, aluminum or plastic.
 Combination foot/shin guards: protect the lower legs and feet, and may be
used in combination with toe guards
 Safety-toed Shoes: have high impact resistant toes made from alloy, steel, or
composite materials
 Nonslip/slip-resistant shoes: have soles made with rubber compounds, deeper
treads, and tread patterns which allow for greater traction and oil-resistant
qualities

25. Safety-Toed Shoes/Boots Ratings
 The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed a standard marking for
use by Safety-Toed Shoe manufacturers which meet their Standard F2413-11.
EXAMPLE) ASTM F2413-11
M I/75/C/95/Mt75
PR
 Safety footwear must meet ANSI minimum compression and impact performance standards in
ANSI Z41-1991 (American National Standard for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear) or
provide equivalent protection. Footwear purchased before July 5, 1994, must meet or provide
equivalent protection to the earlier ANSI Standard (ANSI Z41.1-1967). All ANSI approved
footwear has a protective toe and offers impact and compression protection. But the type and
amount of protection is not always the same. Different footwear protects in different ways.
Check the product's labeling or consult the manufacturer to make sure the footwear will
protect the user from the hazards they face.
Meets or exceeds requirements of Standard
F2413-11
M: male user
I/75: impact resistance up to 75 ft-lbs.
C/95: Compression resistance up to 95 ft-lbs
Mt75: additional metatarsal protection up to 75 ft-lbs.
Indicates Puncture
Resistance

26. Fall Protection (PPE)
 Ensure that personal fall arrest systems will, when stopping a fall:
 Limit maximum arresting force to 1,800 pounds.
 Be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet nor contact any lower level.
 Bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance to 3½ feet.
 Have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of a worker free falling a
distance of 6 feet, or the free fall distance permitted by the system, whichever is less
 Remove systems and components from service immediately if they have been subjected to fall
impact, until inspected by a competent person and deemed undamaged and suitable for use.
 Inspect systems before each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and remove
defective components from service.
 Personal fall arrest systems: consist of an anchoring point, lanyard,
harness, and stress webbing
 They are used to prevent falls and the resulting impacts when engineering controls
(guardrails, toe boards, etc.) and administrative controls (training, proper layout, etc.) do not

27. Note and OSHA Standards
 *Whenever you are not sure about a particular PPE or which one to use, contact the manufacturer and talk with the technical
services department. Often they will be able to provide information and may help you with deciding on the appropriate PPE for
your work place conditions and hazards.
Since there is no OSHA standard number concerning Impact Hazards specifically, I will list some of those whose information
relates to maintaining safety from such hazards:
 1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment * 1910.132 - General requirements. * 1910.133 - Eye and face protection. *
1910.135 - Head protection. * 1910.136 - Foot protection. * 1910.138 - Hand Protection. 1910 Subpart J - General Environmental
Controls * 1910.144 - Safety color code for marking physical hazards. * 1910.145 - Specifications for accident prevention signs
and tags. o 1910.145(f) App A - Recommended color coding o 1910.145(f) App B - References for further information 1910
Subpart N - Materials Handling and Storage 1910.176 - Handling materials - general. o 1910.177 App A - Trajectory 1910
Subpart O - Machinery and Machine Guarding 1910 Subpart P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held
Equipment * 1910.241 - Definitions. * 1910.242 - Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general. * 1910.244 - Other
portable tools and equipment. · 1926 Subpart C - General Safety and Health Provisions
 1926.25 - Housekeeping.
 1926.28 - Personal protective equipment.
 1926 Subpart E - Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment * 1926.95 - Criteria for personal protective equipment. *
1926.96 - Occupational foot protection. 1926.100 - Head protection.1926.102 - Eye and face protection.
 · 1926 Subpart H - Materials Handling, Storage, Use, and Disposal * 1926.250 - General requirements for storage. * 1926.251 -
Rigging equipment for material handling. · 1926 Subpart I - Tools - Hand and Power * 1926.300 - General requirements. *
1926.301 - Hand tools. * 1926.302 - Power-operated hand tools · 1926 Subpart R - Steel Erection * 1926.759 - Falling object
protection.

28. QUESTIONS:
 What two factors allow an Impact Hazard to arise?
 What are the two types of Impact Hazards?
 What may cause an object/you to accelerate?
 Can I get a few examples of each?
 How prevalent are injuries/deaths from impact hazards compared to other causes?
 What other types of hazards may involve an impact hazard?
 How can we mitigate Impact Hazards?
 4 main types of PPE used in their mitigation?
 2 ratings of Hard Hat?
 2 ratings of safety glasses/face masks? How can you tell?
 Do you need to wear safety glasses under a face shield/welding mask?
 3 Types of safety-toed shoes?
 YA’LL GONNA BE AWARE OF THESE POSSIBLE HAZARDS AND WIPE ‘EM OUT ‘FORE THEY CAUSE AN
INJURY OR DEATH ?
 YA’LL GONNA WEAR YOUR PPE?
 YA’LL HAVE A GOOD TIME?

29. WE’RE DONE!!!!!

30. SOURCES:
 https://www.osha.gov/dte/grant_materials/fy08/sh-17792-08/struck_by_english_r6.pdf
 http://safety-blog.compliancesigns.com/2014_09_01_archive.html
 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-142/pdfs/2010-142.pdf
 http://compsourcetpa.com/top-10-most-common-workplace-injuries/
 https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3151.html
 http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/work-equipment/ppe
 http://www.mysafetysign.com/blog/ppe-guide/
 https://www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html
 http://www.lni.wa.gov/safety/topics/atoz/ppe/PPEGuide/PPEGuideVol-1.pdf
 http://www.coopersafety.com/hard-hat-class-standards.aspx
 http://www.gallawayb2b.com/Hard-Hats-Type-I-Type-II-Differences
 http://www.allaboutvision.com/safety/safety-glasses.htm
 http://www.elvex.com/safety-cap-testing.htm
 http://blog.constructiongear.com/2009/03/04/how-are-hard-hats-tested/
 https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3151.html#head
 http://www.bakershoe.com/blog/work-boot-safety-alloy-composite-or-steel-toe
 https://www.grainger.com/content/qt-protective-footwear-standards-252
 Goetsch, David L. The Basics of Occupational Safety. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.