Struck-By and Caught-In/Between Hazards

Struck-by hazards are the second leading cause of construction fatalities, part of OSHA's Fatal Four. A struck-by hazard occurs when a worker is hit by a moving object — whether the object is flying, falling, swinging, or rolling. There are four types: (1) Struck-by flying object — projectiles from power tools, nail guns, grinders, and chipping hammers; (2) Struck-by falling object — tools or materials dropped from elevation; (3) Struck-by swinging/sliding object — crane loads, scaffolding components, tree limbs during demolition; (4) Struck-by rolling object — vehicles, equipment, and rolling materials on slopes. For each type, PPE (hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility vests) combined with engineering controls (barricades, toeboards, debris nets) provides protection.

Caught-in/between hazards occur when a part of the worker's body is caught in or compressed between objects — often machinery, equipment, or materials. Examples include: being pulled into rotating machinery (nip points), a trench cave-in that buries a worker, being pinched between a swinging crane load and a fixed structure, or being crushed between a backing vehicle and a wall. Key preventions: machine guards on all rotating equipment, proper trench protection, maintaining safe distances from heavy equipment, and never reaching into unguarded machinery. Loose clothing, hair, and jewelry should never be worn near rotating equipment.

Work zone safety is critical when construction activities occur near traffic. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides standards for temporary traffic control. Traffic control plans should be developed by trained professionals and must include: advance warning signs, speed limit reductions, channelizing devices (cones, barrels, barriers), pavement markings, flaggers (trained to ATSSA standards), and intrusion alarms where appropriate. Flaggers must wear Class 3 high-visibility garments and use paddles (STOP/SLOW) rather than flags. Spotters are required when heavy equipment operates in areas where vision is limited.