The construction industry is a dangerous one, and struck-by incidents are the source of the majority of injuries and worse. Struck-by incidents are the leading cause of both death and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. These types of incidents are defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as those “produced by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment.” Struck-by incidents are divided into four distinct categories: being hit by an object that is flying, falling, swinging, or rolling. All struck-by incidents can be prevented, reducing injuries and fatalities, with the following tips.
Tips to Reduce Struck-By Incidents
- Wear Your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). PPE is meant to protect you as much as possible in the event of an accident, such as a struck-by incident. Wearing your hard hat is the best way to protect your head from cuts, burns, bruises, traumatic brain injuries, and death.
- Tether Your Tools. If you work at heights, then everyone on the jobsite should be tethering tools to either workers or anchor points. This keeps a falling tool from becoming a missile aimed at those below you with the added bonus of keeping your tools close at hand.
- Pay Attention in Work Zones. Always stay alert when walking in active work zones. Watch out for moving machinery and vehicles that could potentially strike you.
- Use Best Practices for Controlling Traffic Through Work Zones. Road construction work zones that have active traffic passing through are the sources of thousands of crashes resulting in injury and death. Follow Best Practices concerning the placement of cones, barrels, signs, signals, and lane changes when designing a Traffic Control Plan (TCP). Utilize Smart Work Zone (SWZ) technology as often as possible.
- Respect Lift Zones. Cranes and other rigging situations present a multitude of struck-by hazards. Again, follow Best Practices for rigging a load based on a load’s weight, dimensions, contents, pick points, and center of gravity; utilize barricades, signage, and other alerts around cranes; stay out from under a suspended load and outside of a crane’s swing radius; and use spotters and attendants as required.
At Tucker Paving, we pride ourselves on having nearly 30 years in the asphalt and concrete paving industry, and safety has been—and always will be—our leading focus! Contact us online, or call us at (863) 299-2262, for assistance with your asphalt or concrete paving project!