Toolbox Talk · Mobile Equipment · English
Migna Safety Solutions
Struck-By: Staying Visible Around Equipment
About 10 minutes to deliver · 29 CFR 1926.601 · 29 CFR 1926.602
Struck-by is one of the four hazards that kill the most construction workers. Almost all of it comes down to one assumption: the worker believes the operator can see them.
Assume you are invisible
- Make eye contact before you move. Not a wave in the general direction of a cab — eye contact, and a signal the operator returns. If you did not get one back, you were not seen.
- Wear the vest, and keep it clean. A grey high-vis vest is a grey vest. Class 2 in daylight traffic, Class 3 at night or above 50 mph.
- Never walk behind a machine that is running. The mirrors and cameras have gaps, and the operator is watching the load, not you.
- Stay out of the swing radius. An excavator's counterweight sweeps a full circle and will crush you against anything behind you. Barricade it when work allows.
- Never stand under a suspended load, and never walk beneath one to save the trip around.
Backing and spotters
Backing kills more people than almost any other equipment movement, because the driver's view is worst exactly where they are going.
- One spotter, one operator, agreed signals. Two people signalling is nobody signalling.
- If the spotter loses sight of the operator, the machine stops. Not slows — stops. That rule is what makes the system work.
- The spotter stands where they can be seen, never in the path. Standing behind a reversing machine to guide it is how spotters get killed.
- Working alarms and mirrors, every shift. A backup alarm nobody can hear over a generator is not protection.
Around traffic
Barricades, cones, and a plan for pedestrians. If the public can walk into the work, they will.
Ask the crew
- Where on this site do people regularly walk behind running equipment?
- Who is spotting today, and what signals are we using?
- Is there anywhere the swing radius crosses a walking route?
This is a toolbox talk, not a course. It is general awareness on one topic — not site-specific, not a hazard assessment, and not a substitute for assessment of your workplace by a competent person, your written programs, or manufacturers’ instructions. It does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Regulations change; verify against the current standard. Whoever delivers it is responsible for deciding it is suitable and sufficient for the work. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, not a substitute for professional medical care or certified emergency-response training, and it confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. Migna Safety Solutions · training.mignasafetysolutions.com
Attendance Record
Form supplied by Migna Safety Solutions
Struck-By: Staying Visible Around Equipment
29 CFR 1926.601 · 29 CFR 1926.602
I delivered this talk and determined it was suitable for this crew and this work.
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Keep this sheet with your training records. This form is supplied blank by Migna Safety Solutions — we did not deliver this session, were not present, and make no representation about what was said or who attended. A toolbox talk is general awareness on one topic and does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. The employer remains responsible for site-specific hazard assessment and for the training its workers are required to have. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, and confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. training.mignasafetysolutions.com