Construction workers regularly work around heavy equipment, vehicles, machinery, excavations, materials, and other hazards that can crush, pinch, trap, or compress a person. Recognizing these caught-in or caught-between hazards is especially important when workers on foot are working close to operating equipment.
OSHA Focus Four
Caught-in or caught-between hazards are one of OSHA’s Focus Four construction hazards. These incidents occur when a worker is squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two or more objects or between parts of an object.
Caught-in or caught-between incidents can involve machinery, collapsing materials, excavations, moving equipment, or workers becoming trapped between equipment and another object.
Construction Incident
In this incident, two workers were injured after being pinned by a backhoe while working in a 4-foot-deep trench at a construction site.
According to a news report from CBS 5 Arizona, the backhoe came down and trapped the two workers at the bottom of the trench. When it was recognized that the workers were pinned, the backhoe operator raised the bucket.
The original news article is no longer available, but the image below provides an aerial view of the scene following the incident.
This incident demonstrates how quickly a worker can become trapped or crushed when working within the operating area of heavy equipment.
Lessons Learned
Caught-in hazards are not limited to workers getting clothing or gloves caught in machinery. On construction sites, workers can also be crushed or pinned by equipment, caught between a vehicle and a fixed object, trapped beneath materials, or struck and pinned by moving components.
When workers on foot and heavy equipment must operate in the same area:
- Keep workers out of equipment operating areas whenever their presence is not necessary.
- Identify equipment swing areas, blind spots, and other danger zones before work begins.
- Establish clear communication between equipment operators and workers on foot.
- Make sure the operator knows where nearby workers are before moving equipment.
- Never assume an equipment operator can see you.
- Maintain a safe distance from buckets, booms, attachments, and other moving components.
- Inspect required alarms, horns, cameras, and other safety devices before operation.
- Wear required high-visibility apparel when working around vehicles and mobile equipment.
- Only trained and authorized operators should operate heavy equipment.
Prevent Caught-In and Caught-Between Incidents
Heavy equipment can move quickly and generate enough force to cause severe or fatal injuries. Workers should never place themselves between operating equipment and another object or enter an equipment danger zone without appropriate controls and communication. Before work begins, crews should identify where caught-in or caught-between hazards could occur and establish how workers and equipment will be kept safely separated throughout the job.
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