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812 OSHA Focus Four Hazards
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Pinned Between Equipment, Materials, or Other Objects

To protect yourself from being pinned between equipment, materials, or objects you must:

  • be aware at all times of the equipment around you and stay a safe distance from it;
  • never place yourself between moving materials and an immovable structure, vehicle, or stacked materials;
  • make sure all loads carried by equipment are stable and secured;
  • stay out of the swing radius of cranes and other equipment; and
  • wear a seat belt, if required, to avoid being thrown from a vehicle and then potentially being crushed by the vehicle if it tips over.

The employer is required to take measures to prevent workers from being pinned between equipment and a solid object, such as:

  • a wall or another piece of equipment;
  • between materials being stacked or stored and a solid object; and
  • between shoring and construction materials in a trench.

Other measures the employer is required to take include the following:

Forklift Accident
  • Ensure only the personnel absolutely necessary to the work during demolition operations are allowed in the work area when balling or clamming is being performed.
  • Make sure that proper bracing is used between heavy plates used as shoring in a trench.
  • Carefully arrange the path of travel when loading/unloading, stacking, and storing materials so that no workers will be caught between materials and moving equipment or between materials and a wall.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

4-4. Which of the following measures is effective in preventing a pinned-between accident?