Struck-by injuries are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, particularly in construction, where they are designated as part of OSHA’s "Fatal Four." These incidents occur when a person makes forceful contact with a moving, flying, falling, or rolling object. Unlike "caught-in" injuries, a struck-by event is defined by the impact itself being the primary cause of harm. Visibility can be a life-saving factor in preventing struck-by incidents involving vehicles and heavy equipment. OSHA requires workers exposed to public traffic or construction machinery to wear high-visibility safety apparel that contrasts with the background environment. Because these hazards are often unpredictable, maintaining high situational awareness and strict engineering controls is essential for every Colorado job site.
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Our "How to Prevent Struck-By Injuries" poster and toolbox talk provides a structured 6–10 minute guide for supervisors to lead impactful safety discussions. This resource defines specific prevention strategies, such as establishing separate "buffer zones" between workers and heavy machinery and utilizing physical barriers. It also emphasizes the "say something" principle, empowering every employee to halt work if they spot an unsafe condition, such as a worker entering a vehicle's blind spot or a crane's swing radius.
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Preventing falling object injuries is a critical component of federal safety compliance. When employees work at heights, tools must be properly tethered to a work belt or anchor point to prevent them from becoming deadly projectiles. Additionally, the use of toeboards, screens, and debris nets on scaffolding is a mandatory administrative and engineering control to protect those working on the ground level. Our resources provide the technical guidance needed to implement these "overhead" protections effectively.
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How to prevent struck-by injuries
Dropped Object Prevention Sample Plan
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