What equipment can help reduce the risk of injury from falling objects?

• A. Ear protection
• B. Safety harness only
• C. Scaffold toe boards only
• D. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), scaffold toe boards, and tool lanyards

Answer: (D)

The key idea is protecting workers from objects that could fall from above by using multiple safeguards together. Wearing a hard hat as part of PPE helps absorb and deflect blows to the head if something falls. Scaffold toe boards act as a physical barrier on the edge of elevated work areas, preventing items from dropping off onto people below. Tool lanyards keep tools secured to the worker or the scaffold, greatly reducing the chance of items being dropped in the first place.

Relying on any single measure isn’t enough. Ear protection doesn’t protect against impact from falling objects, and a harness protects against falls but not objects that land on you. Toe boards alone prevent items from slipping off the edge but don’t protect you from an object that does fall. Using PPE, toe boards, and tool lanyards together creates a layered approach that more effectively reduces the risk of injury from falling objects.