The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents – a week-long event to raise awareness on the hazard sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – is just around the corner.
Companies are encouraged to pause work during the week of April 17-21 when and where they are able to provide a safety talk, conduct safety inspections or discuss common struck-by hazards and prevention with construction workers.
Second leading cause of workplace fatalities
Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of workplace fatalities and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among construction workers, according to NIOSH. Construction workers can be hurt or killed from being struck by vehicles, falling objects or equipment, or some other struck-by mechanism, such as swing hazards from cranes.
From 2011 to 2021, struck-by injuries accounted for about 1,800 fatal injuries in construction and 167,300 nonfatal injuries. That represents 17% of all fatal injuries and 21.5% of all nonfatal injuries.
How to participate
To participate in the stand-down, employers should take a moment to gather workers on the jobsite to:
- talk about the potential risks on the job
- conduct safety inspections, and
- highlight safety solutions and prevention to reduce injuries.
Toolbox talks, infographics and other resources
To assist employers with planning a stand-down, NIOSH is offering:
- a kickoff webinar on Monday, April 17 at 2 p.m.
- toolbox talks with real-life examples of highway work zone, lift zone, heavy equipment and trench safety, as well as prevention of falling objects and head injuries
- infographics for easy distribution and promotion of key safety messages
- posters and stickers to place near the hazard, at the entrance of a job site, near an office and near break areas
- training videos, and
- additional resources on PPE and equipment safety.
These resources can be found in English and Spanish here.
The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents is supported by NIOSH, OSHA, The Center for Construction Research and Training, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.