Polk Mechanical Safety: Struck By Hazards

Polk Mechanical’s guiding principle of “Make It Safe” conveys a commitment and obligation from the top to the bottom of our company to be vigilant, proactively recognizing and eliminating at-risk behaviors and conditions. In February, we are continuing with Part 3 of our series on the OSHA Focus 4 (the 4 most common causes of workplace injury) and will take a deeper dive into

Struck By Hazards

Without the proper safety control measures in place, construction can be very dangerous. Being struck by an object is one of the leading causes of construction-related deaths. The most common causes of “Struck By” deaths result from falling objects from rigging failure, loose or shifting loads and lack of overhead protection. Vehicle and equipment strikes like backing incidents are a major contributor as well.

To ensure a safe jobsite, employers must protect workers from being struck by vehicles and other objects on the job through the correct control measures, and workers must ensure that those control measures are in place. Worksite safety increases immensely when employers and employees alike are well-informed of the potential dangers and trained to recognize and eliminate potential hazards.

Some of these safety measures may seem obvious, but constant vigilance at work is necessary to maintain a safe workplace. Practices like flagging off and avoiding the swing radius of a crane and never walking underneath a suspended load will ensure that you don’t become the next “Struck By” statistic.

So get ready to learn more about the OSHA Focus 4 “Struck By” hazard in the upcoming Polk safety week where employees in both our DFW and Houston offices will participate in a week of training and activities and end with a company-wide meeting to increase awareness of this potential hazard. If you’re interested in learning more about construction safety or struck by hazards, contact Polk Mechanical today.