Struck-By Hazard Prevention: The Second Fatal Four Hazard
Struck-by incidents are one of the construction fatal four. Flying, falling, swinging, and rolling objects account for a large share of site deaths.
QUICK ANSWER
Struck-by prevention addresses the four categories of struck-by hazards: flying objects from tools and equipment, falling objects from above, swinging loads from cranes and equipment, and rolling vehicles and machinery. Controls include hard hats, toe boards and screens, exclusion zones, high-visibility apparel, and spotters for vehicle and equipment movement.
The Four Struck-By Categories
- Flying: particles and fragments from grinding, cutting, and nailing, controlled by guards and eye protection.
- Falling: tools and materials from above, controlled by toe boards, screens, and hard hats.
- Swinging: crane and equipment loads, controlled by exclusion zones and tag lines.
- Rolling: vehicles and mobile equipment, controlled by spotters, backup alarms, and high-visibility apparel.
Exclusion Zones and Spotters
Most serious struck-by events involve vehicles and swinging loads. Keeping workers out of the swing radius and the path of equipment, with spotters and barricades, is the highest-return control.
Part of the Fatal Four
Struck-by sits with falls and caught-between as construction fatal-four hazards, central to construction safety training and crane and rigging work.
WE BUILD THIS IN VR — THE PRIME VR
We build struck-by prevention into VR so workers practice exclusion-zone discipline, spotter communication, and load-path awareness on a realistic site. The scenario stages a swinging load and a backing vehicle, exposing the blind spots that cause real deaths.
Book a discovery callFrequently Asked Questions
What are the four types of struck-by hazards? +
Flying objects, falling objects, swinging objects, and rolling objects. Each has its own controls, from eye protection and toe boards to exclusion zones and spotters.
What causes the most struck-by fatalities? +
Vehicles and mobile equipment, along with swinging crane loads. Keeping workers out of the path of equipment and the swing radius of loads is the most important control.
How do you protect against falling objects? +
Toe boards, screens, and debris nets on elevated work, hard hats for workers below, and never storing materials near an unprotected edge.
Cut struck-by incidents on your sites
We build fatal-four hazard training into scored VR practice.