Struck-By: Working Around Heavy Equipment
29 CFR 1926.600 · 29 CFR 1926.601 · 29 CFR 1926.602 · This talk in Spanish
Why it matters
Struck-by is one of OSHA's Focus Four hazards in construction. The operator may not see you, may not hear you, and is often watching the load, not the ground. Eye contact before approach is the rule that keeps people out of blind spots.
Hazards
- ⚠ Workers in blind spots behind and beside excavators, skid steers, and trucks
- ⚠ Backing equipment without a spotter
- ⚠ Swinging counterweights and buckets in the machine’s slew radius
- ⚠ Equipment operating near workers on foot in tight areas
- ⚠ Loads lifted over people
Controls and safe practices
- ✓ Make eye contact and get acknowledgment before approaching any machine.
- ✓ High-visibility vests on everyone, every day, no exceptions.
- ✓ Use a dedicated spotter for backing and for work near foot traffic. Standard hand signals only.
- ✓ Stay out of the swing radius. Barricade it where the machine works in one spot.
- ✓ Never stand or walk under a suspended load.
- ✓ Operators: seatbelt on, horn on backing, park with bucket down and brake set.
What the OSHA standard says
Exact words from the official text, with a link to each paragraph.
“Whenever the equipment is parked, the parking brake shall be set. Equipment parked on inclines shall have the wheels chocked and the parking brake set.”
“No employer shall use any motor vehicle equipment having an obstructed view to the rear unless: (i) The vehicle has a reverse signal alarm audible above the surrounding noise level or: (ii) The vehicle is backed up only when an observer signals that it is safe to do so.”
“All vehicles in use shall be checked at the beginning of each shift to assure that the following parts, equipment, and accessories are in safe operating condition and free of apparent damage that could cause failure while in use”
“No employer shall permit earthmoving or compacting equipment which has an obstructed view to the rear to be used in reverse gear unless the equipment has in operation a reverse signal alarm distinguishable from the surrounding noise level or an employee signals that it is safe to do so.”
By the numbers
- BLS counted 369 deaths in 2024 from pedestrian incidents involving motorized land vehicles, up from 310 in 2023, across all U.S. jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2024 (released February 19, 2026))
- BLS counted 61 deaths in 2024 from pedestrians struck by a vehicle in a road work zone. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2024, Table 2 (released February 19, 2026))
Site check before the talk
Walk the site and tick each line. Each line comes from the text quoted above.
- ☐Set the parking brake every time equipment is parked; chock wheels on a slope. (29 CFR 1926.600(a)(3)(ii))
- ☐Check that the backup alarm works and can be heard over site noise. (29 CFR 1926.601(b)(4))
- ☐If there is no working backup alarm, back up only when a spotter signals it is safe. (29 CFR 1926.602(a)(9)(ii))
- ☐Check vehicles at the start of each shift for damage. (29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14))
Quotes checked word for word against the official eCFR text on October 5, 2026. This is a summary for a crew talk, not legal advice; the full official text governs. How we check
Crew discussion questions
- What equipment is running today and where are its blind spots?
- Who is spotting, and does everyone know the hand signals?
- Where do people on foot cross equipment paths on this site?
- Are any lifts today passing over areas where people work?
Applicable OSHA standards
29 CFR 1926.600, 29 CFR 1926.601, 29 CFR 1926.602
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