Examples of Struck-By Accidents

Examples of struck-by accidents in construction include the following:

• A construction worker was hoisting bricks in a bucket to the top of a building. The bucket tilted, and the bricks spilled out of the bucket, striking the worker in the head. The worker suffered blunt force trauma to his head and died at the hospital eight days later.
• Four workers were installing signs on a highway when a pickup truck changed several lanes and entered the work area. The truck struck one of the workers, knocking him off the road and over a bridge rail. He fell approximately 18 feet and died.
• A construction inspector was crossing an equipment vehicle route at an interstate highway bridge construction site. He walked into the path of the end loader traveling the route, was run over, and killed. The loader operator was unaware that he struck the inspector.
• Workers were pulling 60-foot sections of pipe out of a hole, using a hoist to stack them on the derrick floor. One of the workers let go of a pipe section before it was secured. As he bent over, the pipe swung around and struck him on the head, killing him.

Are any of these work scenarios familiar to you? If you can visualize how something could go wrong on your worksite, you are better prepared to prevent an accident from happening.

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