Can Falling Object Nets be China’s Answer to Workplace Hazards?

Industry safety, specifically within the power sector, is a growing point of focus in China, especially given the country’s overall industrial safety record. An increase in incident frequency, together with a more comprehensive reporting system by the government and company transparancy, has led to the need for a higher level of safety standards in recent years.

In June 2020, safety authorities suspended operations at a number of coal mines in China’s Shaanxi province for serious safety violations. The inspection followed the death of seven miners who were killed due to a collapse, and countless other breaches in safety standards, including gas-related hazards and dropped object risks. Of the 22 mines that were forced to shut down, 16 were ordered to close for between 7 to 60 days. In total, the affected sites also had to pay fines of $3.81 million USD.

This is not an issue isolated to mine sites; safety is a serious issue across all industries throughout China. The increased number of incidents, together with the repercussions – both financial and reputational – have led to an increase in safety practices, higher standards, and widespread availability of safety products. Unfortunately, many of the solutions available in China sacrifice integrity for price. Cheaper solutions to dropped object hazards, for example, are especially detrimental, as they give the impression of ensuring equipment and personnel are safe from drops, and yet do not provide the security they claim.

Many Chinese companies have tightened their safety practices and upped their standards, but the availability of uncertified, untested drops prevention solutions can create more risks than ever. It is China’s long-standing habit of poor incident reporting that hides what a threat items or fixtures falling from height pose, and the damage, injuries – and even fatalities – they can cause.

In an aim to raise awareness of drops prevention and the need for high-quality, cost-effective secondary securing solutions, Dropsafe have created a range of drops prevention nets. These nets, which come in more than 100 different sizes, are designed to fit a specific fixture to ensure reliable, effective drops prevention. The nets not only comply with, but far exceed industry standard requirements, and are backed by a 3-year warranty. They are easy to install and even easier to inspect, meaning minimal work for personnel onsite.

The cost of ensuring a facility of any kind is safe is nothing compared to the cost of an incident, be it financial, reputational, legal or, at worst, the injury or death of one or more people. While it is tempting to go for the cheapest option to ‘tick the boxes’ and ensure your site is safe, it is important to remember that savings on cost, often mean losing out on quality and durability.

To find out more about the Dropsafe range of secondary securing devices, or their full range of drops prevention products, click here. Got a question? Contact us and tell us what we can help you with – click here.