Struck-By Hazards Toolbox Talk
Being hit by a falling object, a flying piece of material or a moving vehicle is one of the leading causes of death in construction. In the US it is one of OSHA's Focus Four. Most struck-by injuries come from things we can see coming if we look.
Takes about 6 minutes, plus a 5-question quiz.
What happened: a real incident
In October 2023, crews in Orlando, Florida, were installing concrete sound barrier panels along a highway ramp when a crane lifting a 10,700 pound panel tipped after an outrigger gave way. The boom struck a worker in an aerial lift inside the crane's swing radius, and he was killed. OSHA said it could have been prevented, because the crane company did not make sure the ground could support the crane. The two contractors involved faced proposed penalties of $16,131 and $4,839.
Source: OSHA
Key points to read out
- Keep tools tethered when working at height, and use toe boards and mesh to stop things falling.
- Set up exclusion zones below overhead work. Never walk under it.
- Never throw tools or materials down. Lower them or use a chute.
- Stack materials so they cannot roll, slide or topple, and band loose loads.
- Stay out of the line of fire of nail guns, grinders, compressed air and cutting tools.
- Never stand under a suspended load or in the swing path of a crane or excavator.
- Before a crane or concrete pump sets up, check the ground and outrigger pads can take the load. A sinking outrigger can tip the whole machine.
- Make eye contact with plant operators before you go near the machine.
- Vehicles with a blocked rear view need a reverse alarm you can hear over the noise, or a spotter who signals it is safe to back up.
- Stay out of the gap between a truck and a wall, stack or another vehicle. That is where people get pinned.
- Pressure is a hidden struck-by hazard. Bleed down air, water and hydraulic lines before you open or disconnect them.
- Wear your hard hat, eye protection and high visibility clothing (ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3) at all times on site.
Questions to ask the crew
- What could fall from above where we are working today?
- Where are the exclusion zones on site?
- Which tools could throw material at someone nearby?
- How do you let a plant operator know you are there?
- Which vehicles reverse on this site today, and who is spotting them?
Reference: 29 CFR 1926.600 and 1926.601 (Equipment and motor vehicles) and 1926.759 (Falling object protection)
How to run this talk
- Hold the talk where plant and people cross paths, so the crew can see the real risk.
- Point up and ask what could fall on this spot today, then agree the exclusion zones.
- Introduce the plant operators and spotters for today and agree the signal for "stop".
- Show a tool tether and toe board, and a properly banded load.
- Ask each person to name one line of fire hazard in their own work.
- Record attendance and the exclusion zones agreed on the sign-in sheet.
Struck-By Hazards quiz
Ask these after the talk. Answers are underneath each question.
A tipper with a blocked rear view needs to reverse and its alarm is broken. What happens?
- It reverses slowly
- It only reverses with a spotter guiding it
- It reverses using the mirrors
Answer: B. Without a working alarm nobody nearby knows the truck is moving, so a spotter has to control the move.
A crane is lifting a load over the area where you need to walk. What do you do?
- Walk under quickly
- Wait or go around, never under a suspended load
- Walk under if you are wearing a hard hat
Answer: B. A hard hat will not stop a falling load, so stay out from under it and out of the swing path.
You are working on a scaffold above a walkway. How do you stop tools hitting someone below?
- Shout a warning if one drops
- Tether tools, use toe boards and mesh, and set up an exclusion zone below
- Work faster so there is less time for things to fall
Answer: B. Even a small tool dropped from height can kill, so you stop it falling and keep people out of the drop zone.
A workmate is using a nail gun on framing. Where should you stand?
- Directly behind the board they are nailing
- Out of the line of fire, away from where a nail could pass through or ricochet
- Next to their hand to hold the timber
Answer: B. Nails can pass through timber or glance off knots, so keep out of the path the tool could fire.
You need to disconnect a hydraulic hose. What first?
- Pull it off quickly
- Bleed the pressure down and lower or block any load
- Loosen it a little and see what happens
Answer: B. Stored pressure can whip a hose or fire fluid into your skin, so release it before you open anything.
Questions about struck-by hazards
What are struck-by hazards?
Struck-by hazards are anything that can hit you: falling objects such as tools and materials, flying debris from cutting and nailing, swinging loads, and moving vehicles and plant. They are one of the leading causes of death in construction. Most can be controlled by keeping things from falling and keeping people out of the line of fire.
What are OSHA's Focus Four hazards?
OSHA's Focus Four are falls, struck-by, caught-in or between, and electrocution, which together cause most construction worker deaths. Struck-by covers falling, flying, swinging and rolling objects as well as vehicles and equipment.
How do you prevent being hit by vehicles on site?
Separate people from equipment with barriers and set walkways, plan traffic routes, and make eye contact with operators before going near a machine. OSHA 1926.601(b)(4) bars vehicles with an obstructed rear view from backing up unless they have a reverse alarm audible over the surrounding noise or a spotter signals that it is safe.
What is an exclusion zone?
An exclusion zone is a marked area, usually with barriers and signs, that people must stay out of because of a hazard such as overhead work, a crane lift or reversing plant. Only people directly involved in the task enter it, and only when it is safe. It must be big enough to cover where things could fall, swing or roll.
What the law says in United States
OSHA does not allow vehicles with a blocked rear view to back up unless they have a reverse alarm you can hear over the surrounding noise, or a spotter signals that it is safe. During steel erection, tools and materials not in use at height must be secured so they cannot fall, and other work must be kept out from under the erection unless overhead protection is provided.
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.