Caught In or Struck By? Let’s Keep You Out of Both!

Construction sites are organized chaos, and if you’re not paying attention, that chaos can flatten, crush, or launch you across the job site. Two of the deadliest hazards? Struck-by and caught-in or -between incidents. They happen fast, but the good news is, they’re preventable.

If it can hit you, fall on you, swing at you, or roll toward you, it’s a struck-by hazard.

Types of Struck-By Hazards

• Flying Objects: Think nail gun misfires, shattered tool bits, or debris from grinding and welding. Basically, anything that turns into a worksite projectile.
• Falling Objects: That wrench someone “accidentally” knocked off the scaffolding? Yeah, that’s a hazard. Tools, materials, and unsecured items should never have free fall privileges.
• Swinging Objects: Cranes, hoists, or any heavy load that’s got more swing than a wrecking ball. The risk gets worse in windy conditions.
• Rolling Hazards: Vehicles, heavy equipment, or runaway pipes rolling toward your ankles. If it’s big and moving, stay out of its way.

How to Dodge Struck-By Hazards

• Wear Your Armor:
  • Hard hats: Because your head shouldn’t be absorbing impacts.
  • Safety goggles and face shields: Your eyes deserve better than flying debris.
  • Steel-toed boots: Protect those toes, because broken feet aren’t a good look.
• Keep Your Distance:
  • Never stand under suspended loads. Unless you enjoy gambling with gravity.
  • Make eye contact with equipment operators. If they don’t see you, you don’t exist.
• Watch for Vehicles:
  • Wear high-visibility gear. If you blend in with the equipment, that’s a problem.
  • Stay clear of reversing vehicles and use spotters for blind spots.

If you’re getting trapped, pinned, or buried, you’re in a caught-in or -between hazard.

Examples of Caught-In or -Between Hazards

• Machinery grabbing loose clothing or pulling workers into moving parts.
• Heavy equipment pinning someone against a wall or structure.
• Trench cave-ins burying workers under thousands of pounds of soil.

Struck-by vs. Caught-In: What’s the Difference?

If an object hits you and moves on, that’s struck-by. If an object traps, squeezes, or crushes you, that’s caught-in or -between. Either way, you don’t want to be in that situation.

Want to avoid getting pulled, pinned, or crushed? Follow these rules.

Machinery Safety

• Use guards on moving parts to prevent accidental contact.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing, jewelry, or anything that can get snagged.
• Follow lockout/tagout procedures when servicing machines.

Excavation Safety

• Any trench deeper than 5 feet needs protective systems. That means:
  • Sloping or benching: Angled trench walls to prevent collapses.
  • Shoring: Structural support to keep trench walls stable.
  • Trench boxes: Protective barriers to shield workers.
• Keep materials at least 2 feet from the trench edge to prevent them from falling in.

Demolition and Heavy Equipment Work

• Limit personnel on-site during high-risk tasks.
• Use competent persons to inspect and oversee safety measures.

Rollovers: When Heavy Equipment Decides to Tip Over

• Use rollover protective structures (ROPS) on machinery.
• Wear your seatbelt. Because flying out of a rolling bulldozer isn’t ideal.
• Avoid slopes and unstable ground, because physics will not be on your side.

Proper Tool Use: Because Your Power Tools Shouldn’t Try to Kill You.

Daily Equipment Checks

• Inspect tools before use, if it’s damaged, don’t risk it.
• Power tools need safety guards, not DIY modifications.

Storing and Transporting Materials

• Stack materials securely so they don’t topple like a Jenga tower.
• Store items away from edges, ledges, and hoistways.

Training and Awareness

• Train your team. Knowledge beats luck every time.
• Assign a Competent Person on-site to spot hazards and enforce safety rules.

Before You Go, Here’s Another Safety Must-Know.

If you work around commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), fatigue can be as deadly as faulty equipment. Knowing Hours of Service (HOS) regulations can prevent crashes, injuries, and fines. Get up to speed with the CMV Safety: Hours of Service Training Course.

Expand Your Knowledge with Workplace Safety Training.

This guide gives you the essentials, but there’s more to learn. Master workplace safety and stop accidents before they happen. Enroll in the Workplace Safety: Caught-In and Struck-By Hazards Training Course today.

References

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – Caught-In or -Between Hazards
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – Struck-By Hazards
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Construction Hazards