January 9, 2018

construction assessmentWorking with any type of equipment can expose your workers to safety risks, and one of the most common hazards in the construction industry is getting caught in or between equipment. Oftentimes, these types of incidents are deadly. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, contact with objects and equipment was the cause of almost 15 percent of workplace fatalities in 2014. Caught-in/between incidents are also one of OSHA's Focus Four hazards for the construction industry.

Keeping your workers safe takes working smarter and safer through consistent training and education. We've gathered some of the best resources to help you avoid these incidents in your workplace. Get started with five quick tips, in addition to coordinating e-Learning courses and other resources below.

Safety tips

  1. Never place yourself between moving equipment and an immovable structure or other equipment.
  2. Always power down equipment when you exit a vehicle, and set the parking brake, if available.
  3. If the vehicle or equipment is on an incline, chock the wheels.
  4. Flaggers or spotters should wear high visibility clothing.
  5. Vehicles or equipment should only be operated on roadways or grades that are safely constructed.

Texas Mutual's Safety Services Support Center offers more than 2,000 resources to our policyholders in the form of e-Learning training courses, videos, training presentations, and more. Below you'll find a list of relevant courses to help your workplace avoid caught in or between hazards.

e-Learning courses
e-Learning is Texas Mutual's newest interactive training tool. With e-Learning, employers can assign training, view results, send announcements and keep records easily. Here are four recommended courses to help you avoid this Focus Four hazard:

  • Construction safety
  • Equipment hazards
  • Heavy equipment safety
  • Heavy equipment visibility

To access e-Learning, log in to your texasmutual.com account, select the Safety tab and choose e-Learning.

You can find more Focus Four resources on the OSHA website. If you have questions, we encourage our policyholders to call our safety services support center at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST.