Struck-By Hazards
Struck-by injuries are produced by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment. The impact of the object is the cause of the injury. OSHA breaks down struck-by hazards into the following categories:
Dropped Object Experiment - Black & Veatch
- Struck by a flying object: When equipment fails and comes apart on an oil rig can result in flying parts that strike with considerable force.
- Struck by a falling object: Objects can fall off the superstructure, tanks, roofs, scaffolding, and equipment and strike workers.
- Struck by a swinging object: Derrickmen can be hit by suspended pipe when tripping pipe in and out. Workers can also be crushed by rotating superstructures of a crane or excavator.
- Struck by a rolling object: Vehicles and heavy equipment can crush workers due to the weight and force of being hit by equipment.
Fatalities occur every year on drilling rigs when workers are struck by objects in any of the four categories above. There are a lot of equipment and components that can fall off the rig and cause serious physical harm or a fatality. The resulting accidents may involve failure to use appropriate safety equipment to prevent objects from falling. Workers may also not be wearing protective equipment like hard hats to reduce the severity of a head injury if struck. A falling object can cause a lot of damage when striking workers or materials. Look at the video that helps to emphasize the hazards of failing to wear a hard hat while working on a drilling rig.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-8. Which of the following struck-by hazards can result if equipment comes apart on an oil rig?
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