Part 8
Hazardous objects
(struck-by, struck-against, caught-in/between)
Contact with objects like falling tools/materials, moving loads, collapsing stacks, or pinch-points is a leading source of serious harm. In construction, about half of struck-by deaths involve vehicles (47%) and a quarter involve falling objects (27%). Across the U.S., fatalities from contact with objects/equipment were 779 in 2023 and there were ~781k lost-time (DART) cases in 2021–22.
Example cases:
Falling load after support cut/removed
A 5,000-lb mixer drum shifted/fell at a Minnesota plant, killing a worker. This underscores the need for positive blocking/energy isolation and supervision during heavy-component work.
Irrigation wheel crush
A center-pivot wheel ran over a worker after he slipped near a trench after 12–13 hours of working alone. There were no lone-worker controls in place to prevent this tragedy.
Concrete mixer drum collapse
A 63-year-old employee at a Minnesota plant was crushed by a 5,000-lb mixer drum after a support crossbeam on the dolly was cut, causing the drum to fall. Highlights the need for positive blocking, energy isolation/LOTO, and clear stop-work authority during heavy-component work.
Mitigation strategies:
Complete a risk assessment first: Identify object hazards per task (overhead work, unstable stacks, vehicle interfaces); for solo tasks, decide what must not be done alone and require a buddy/rescue plan. Update when conditions change.
Housekeeping & layout: Keep walkways clear/dry; remove trip hazards; segregate pedestrian routes from vehicle routes; mark drop zones.
Safe storage & stacking: Heavy on lower levels; height limits; use racks, bins, dunnage, and tie-downs; only de-stack from the top; never stand beneath raised loads; control “first-row removal” instability.
Engineering controls: Toeboards, debris nets, canopies; tool tethers at height; barriers/guardrails; forklift load backrests; crane/fork attachments to prevent load shift.
PPE (last line): Hard hats, eye/face protection, safety footwear; task-specific gloves/shin protection. Supplement, don’t substitute, higher-order controls.
Safe practices & training: No work under suspended loads; LOTO and blocking for service/clean-outs; use spotters/signalers around vehicles; secure loads and lift evenly; pre-task dropped-object sweeps.
Lone-worker safeguards: Prohibit solitary high-risk moves (heavy lifts, unstable stacks, cutting supports); scheduled check-ins; radio/GPS/SOS or man-down devices; periodic supervisor verification.
