Caught-In or Between Hazards Training for Construction

Your construction workers face several on the job hazards. An important one to teach them about is hazards on the job where they might be “Caught-In” or “Between” objects.  In fact, OSHA states these types of hazards are in the top four causes of Construction Worker on the job fatalities.  These types of injuries are defined as injuries resulting from being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched or compressed between two or more objects. Training your crew how to avoid being caught-in or between objects is an important part of any Construction Employee Safety Training regimen.

This Caught-In or Between Hazards Training Covers the Following Topics:

• Why is it important to reduce the number of caught-in or between types of injuries? (Rather simple….they are responsible for a large number of construction employee related injuries and they can severe injury or even death)
• What are some examples of injuries where a construction worker can be caught-in or between two objects? (Crushed between two vehicles, equipment or materials, caught in operating machinery, buried by loose dirt or rock when a trench collapses, etc)
• What are the three groups of common caught-in or between injuries that OSHA has identified? (Workers caught in unguarded machinery, buried in or buried by material, and “pinned between” injuries that might involve cars, machines, heavy equipment, etc)
• How do most injuries that are the result of the employee being buried occur? (Often, when the walls of an unprotected trench collapse.  Since a square yard of soil can weigh a ton or more, trench cave-ins can easily crush or suffocate people – that’s why trenching and shoring training is so important.) 
• What are some other hazards that workers can be exposed to when trapped in a trench? (contaminated soil, exposed utility lines, water or chemicals that are in the trench, etc)
• What are some other examples besides a faulty trench that can cause Construction Workers to be injured in a “buried by” accident? (Walls that cave in during demolition work, collapsed scaffolding, etc)
• What are some examples of injuries that can occur where a worker is “pinned between” two or more objects? (heavy equipment and a solid wall, stored materials and a piece of equipment, construction materials and the shoring system of a trench, etc)
• What sorts of injuries can a “pinned between” injury cause to a Construction Worker? ( asphyxiation, broken bones, amputations, crushed body parts, and even death)
• Can most caught-in or between type injuries be prevented? (Yes, by following good safety protocols for scaffolding, trenching and shoring, working on or around heavy equipment, etc)

Additional Information in this Caught-In or Between Hazards Training:

• What are some best practices for reducing injuries related to trenching and shoring operations? (assessing the construction site to identify and correct hazards, installing protective systems to protect workers from cave-ins, putting procedures in place to prevent materials or equipment falling into the trench, etc.)
• Good training for employees on how to reduce caught-in or between trench related injuries include teaching Construction Workers to always stay inside the trench’s protective system, to never work in a trench unprotected that is five or more feet deep, to never enter a trench of any depth that has not been approved by a “competent person”)
• When working with excavated soil teach your employees to never enter a trench that has caved in as they could get trapped by a secondary cave-in, to never pass underneath loads being carried by heavy equipment, and to always stand clear of any vehicle that is being loaded or unloaded with soil)
• What are some Standards established by OSHA in regards to scaffolding to prevent injury? (to prevent scaffolding collapses all work must be performed under the supervision of a “competent person”, all Free-standing walls that are more than one story tall and were not designed to stand alone, or are thought to be unsafe, must be reinforced with lateral bracing, all jacks and raised loads must be cribbed, blocked or otherwise secured, and more)
• Teach your Construction Crews that to prevent being caught between heavy equipment and other materials, they should understand where all the heavy equipment on the job site is, use caution around heavy equipment whether it is running or not, pay special attention to heavy equipment when it is backing up as it is often difficult for the operator to see behind the machine, and at all times to stay a safe distance away from operating machinery)
• What is the “swing radius” of cranes, backhoes, excavators, etc, and why is it important for Construction Crews to understand it? (The swing radius is the rotating part of heavy machinery that swings back and forth as it operates.  Workers need to be taught to stay out of the swing radius of these machines, or they could be severely injured)
• How can Construction Workers avoid being caught in a hand power tool? (they should be taught never to use a power tool that they have not received training on, they should carefully inspect any equipment before using is, they should check that machines guards are in place, etc)
• and much more…

Teaching your Construction Employees all about how to avoid being pinned or caught in between objects on a construction site will go a long way in helping them avoid injury.  Reducing these hazards through employee training will also help you reduce or eliminate accidents on your job site.  With this training on how to avoid being caught-in or between items your employees will receive the safety training that they need.  Available as a DVD or on USB stick this piece of training is a necessary part of any successful construction safety training program.

Caught-In or Between Hazards Training Video – Full Length Preview: