Caught-in and caught-between hazards

Key points

1. 1Never stand between a moving machine and a fixed object like a wall, truck, or stack of material. If you could get pinned there, move.
2. 2Stay out of the swing radius of excavators and cranes. Make eye contact with the operator before you walk near the machine.
3. 3Do not enter a trench 5 feet or deeper unless it has a protective system like shoring, a trench box, or proper sloping. Ask the competent person if it has been checked today.
4. 4Keep spoil piles and equipment back from the edge of the trench, at least 2 feet. Weight near the edge can cause a cave-in.
5. 5Before you work on or under equipment, shut it off, lower blades and buckets to the ground, and block anything raised. Never trust hydraulics alone to hold a load over you.
6. 6Keep guards in place on belts, gears, and rotating parts. Tie back long hair and skip loose clothing and jewelry around moving parts.
7. 7When backing equipment, use a spotter and make sure the backup alarm works. Workers on foot stay clear of the blind spots.

Talk it over

• Where on this site could someone get pinned between a machine and something solid?
• Who checks our trenches each day, and what do you do if you see cracks or water?
• Has anyone had a close call with a swinging bucket, a backing truck, or a moving part? What happened?

Also in the other language: Riesgos de quedar atrapado

Official sources

• 29 CFR 1926.600 — Motor vehicles and mechanized equipment — equipment
• 29 CFR 1926.652 — Requirements for protective systems

More toolbox talks

• Working near traffic and flaggers
• Stacking and storing materials
• Cold stress