According to OSHA, caught-in or -between hazards are defined as: Injuries resulting from a person being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two or more objects, or between parts of an object. This includes individuals who get caught or crushed in operating equipment, between other mashing objects, between a moving and stationary object, or between two or more moving objects.
The key factor in making a determination between a Caught event and a Struck event is whether the impact of the object alone caused the injury. When the impact alone creates the injury, the event should be recorded as Struck. When the injury is created more as a result of crushing injuries between objects, the event should be recorded as Caught.
Events that should be classified as Caught include:
Some of the working conditions which contribute to caught-in or-between hazards include:
1. Which of the following accidents would be classified as a "caught-in or -between" accident?
a. Running into a closed doorRead the following accidents and think about how each could have been prevented.
Try to identify the hazards in each picture below. Then click on each picture to see if you correctly identified the hazards.
2. Construction workers may have exposure to _____ hazards if they operate unguarded saws.
a. caught-betweenAlmost all sites use machinery that has moving or rotating parts or that requires maintenance or repair at some point during construction. If machinery is not properly guarded or de-energized during maintenance or repair, injuries from caught-in or –between hazards may result, ranging from amputations and fractures to death.
When power tools are not properly guarded, workers can get their clothing, gloves, or parts of their body caught in the rotating parts of the tools. If machines are not de-energized (locked-out) when they are being repaired, they may cycle or otherwise start up and catch a worker's body part or clothing and cause injury or death.
Workers can be trapped and crushed under heavy equipment that tips, especially if they are thrown from the equipment.
Practice Identifying Hazards
Try to identify the hazards in each picture below. Then click on each picture to see if you correctly identified the hazards.
3. Wearing gloves when operating a bench grinder may result in _____.
a. electrocutionOn construction sites, the major hazard related to buried-in or -by is cave-ins of unprotected trenches and excavations. Cave-ins crush or suffocate workers.
In addition, trenches may contain:
Workers who are working underneath large scaffolds may also be buried if the scaffolds collapse. Workers may be buried and crushed by walls that collapse during demolition.
Workers may also be buried or engulfed by grains and other materials while working in confined spaces such as tanks and silos.
Read the following accidents and think about how each could have been prevented.
4. In construction a major cause of buried-in or -by fatalities is _____.
a. drowning in pitsYou can be 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, such as a wall or another piece of equipment; or between shoring and construction materials in a trench. These types of hazards can result in multiple broken bones, asphyxiation, or death.
Read the following accidents and think about how each could have been prevented.
5. Which of the following would be considered a pinned-between injury?
a. Being crushed by a crane's rotating superstructureClick on the "Check Quiz Answers" button to grade your quiz and see your score. You will receive a message if you forgot to answer one of the questions. After clicking the button, the questions you missed will be listed below. You can correct any missed questions and check your answers again.