In the most recent statistics published by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the second most common cause of fatalities in the workplace was being struck by a moving object. In the data for 2024/25 18 people were killed in such incidents whilst working.
In one particular example, an engineering firm was recently fined £80,000 after an employee was killed in 2021 by being struck by a falling machine in the workplace. An investigation by the HSE found that the employee and a fellow colleague had not been provided with “suitable or sufficient training to ensure they had the necessary relevant competence to undertake the task” of moving the machinery.
Here at The Health & Safety Dept, we know that one death in the workplace is one too many. So let’s take a look at what should be done to improve these figures and make the workplace as safe as it can be.
Risk assessments and planning
In the case of the engineering firm above, it was evident from the HSE investigation that no risk assessment for moving the machinery had been carried out prior to the accident occurring.
It should be a number one priority within your business for risk assessments to be carried out, in order to identify possible risks. These risks can then be eliminated, or when this is not feasible, reduced to ensure the safest working environment.
In cases of moving objects, risk assessments will also need to be routinely monitored to ensure that they are still fit for purpose. Risk assessments should also be specific to which particular hazards are in situ for the workplace in question. This could include items that could fly, fall, swing or roll.
When planning, businesses should organise the sequence of work to ensure that staff have minimal risk of exposure to hazards and have control measures in place to minimise the risk of accidents or injury.
Control measures
Here are some examples of control measures businesses can adopt to ensure the health and safety of staff when it comes to hazards from moving objects:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Where appropriate, workers should be equipped with PPE to provide a layer of protection against moving objects. This could include wearing hard hats, safety footwear or safety glasses.
- Signage – use signs on the work site to identify and alert workers of potential hazards, such as the risk of falling objects.
- Equipment inspection – equipment should be routinely inspected to ensure that it is in good working order.
- Safe Systems of Work – create safe systems of work for handling and storing goods, especially for anyone working at height.
- Secure loads and tether tools – good practice will include using appropriate equipment to secure objects if they are being moved, to eliminate the risk of them ejecting or falling. Tools should also be tethered, particularly if working from height, to avoid any equipment being dropped and striking someone below.
Training
Staff should be adequately trained in order to ensure that they have the skills to carry out work safely. It can be good practice to offer refresher training for employees too, to make sure workers are kept up-to-date with safety procedures over time.
We offer various training at The Health & Safety Dept. We have a range of eLearning courses which are the perfect introduction or refresher for employees. We also offer Toolbox Talks which are tailored to your workplace and typically last 10-30 minutes.
Here to help
As leading experts in all things health and safety, The Health & Safety Dept are on hand to help your business. Get in touch today to get started and discuss how we can help keep your staff safe and your business running smoothly.
