“Caught in or between” and “struck-by” hazards are two of OSHA’s Focus Four. These types of incidents continue to cause many fatalities and serious injuries annually. A struck by injury is caused by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment.
A struck by injury is caused by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment. A caught in or between injury may be similar to struck by injuries, but caught in or between injuries can be determined if the injury was created more as a result of a crushing injury between two objects.
Struck by hazards are categorized by flying object, falling object, swinging object or rolling object. Caught in or between hazards are categorized by cave-ins, being pulled into or caught in machinery and equipment or being compressed or crushed between rolling, sliding or shifting objects.
How to protect yourself from struck-by hazards:
- Ensuring all hand tools are maintained in good condition.
- All tools equipped with guards shall have guards in place.
- Only trained and authorized employees are allowed to operate powder-actuated tools.
- Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes.
- All materials stacked materials shall be secured to prevent sliding, falling or collapsing. Secure all materials and tools when working at elevated heights.
- Toe boards shall be erected along the edge of overhead walking/working surfaces and scaffolds.
- Proper head, eye, face and hand protection shall be worn.
How to protect yourself from caught in or between hazards:
- Use machinery that is properly guarded.
- Use methods to ensure that machinery is sufficiently supported, secured or otherwise made safe.
- Protect yourself from being pinned between equipment, materials or other objects.
- Protect yourself on excavation sites.
- Never walk under suspended loads.
- Always make contact with equipment operators before walking in front of, behind or around equipment.
- Motorized equipment shall be equipped with an operating back up alarm.
Always look out for these types of hazards on the jobsite and don’t put yourself in a situation where you could become injured.
Additional OSHA Resources
See the OSHA Construction eTool Page
[PDF]‘Struck-By’ Hazards – OSHA
“Struck-By” Hazards. Being struck by an object is one of the leading causes of construction-related deaths. Workers are most often struck by heavy equipment …
[PDF]Construction Focus Four: Struck‐By Hazards – OSHA
According to OSHA, “Struck” is defined as: injuries produced by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment. B. Examples. Struck-by hazards in construction cause accidents such as the following: •
[PDF]Big Four Construction Hazards: Struck-by Hazards – OSHA
Struck-by Hazards Overview. A. Hazard Recognition. 1. Struck-by Falling Objects. 2. Struck-by Flying Objects. 3. Struck-by Swinging/Slipping Objects. 4.
EHS Safety News America 