Struck-By Accidents in Construction: Types, Causes, and Your Rights
A struck-by accident happens when a worker is injured by forcible contact with a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object. It is one of OSHA's “Fatal Four” construction hazards, the second-leading cause of construction worker deaths after falls, and the leading cause of nonfatal construction injuries. In 2020, struck-by incidents killed about 150 construction workers and injured roughly 14,000 more. This guide explains what actually counts as a struck-by accident, how the four hazard types differ, why they happen, how they're prevented under OSHA standards, and what compensation options an injured worker has.
What Is a Struck-By Accident?
A struck-by accident occurs when a worker is injured by forcible contact or impact with a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object. The key word is impact. It's not a loose phrase for any on-site injury; OSHA defines it by a specific mechanism, which is why “struck-by” is a distinct hazard category and not just shorthand for “getting hit.”
That mechanism is what separates a struck-by accident from its close cousin, the caught-in/between accident. Both involve contact with an object, so people mix them up, and both sit within the broader family of construction accident types recognized on job sites. The difference is simple once you see it: a struck-by injury comes from impact alone, while a caught-in/between injury comes from crushing or compression.
Hazard | Injury mechanism | Quick example |
|---|---|---|
Struck-by | Impact from a moving object | A load swings off a crane and hits a worker |
Caught-in/between | Crushing or compression | A worker is pinned between a truck and a wall |
Both belong to OSHA's Fatal Four, the four hazards responsible for most construction deaths: falls, struck-by, electrocution, and caught-in/between. Within the impact category, OSHA recognizes four distinct object motions, and knowing them is the fastest way to understand the risk.
The Four Types of Struck-By Hazards
OSHA classifies struck-by hazards into four types based on how the object moves: flying, falling, swinging, and rolling. Each type describes a different path the object takes toward the worker, and each tends to involve different equipment and different levels of danger.
Type | How it moves | Common examples | Typical severity |
|---|---|---|---|
Flying object | Propelled or ejected through the air | Debris from a saw or grinder, a nail from a nail gun | Eye and head injuries, sometimes fatal |
Falling object | Drops from an elevated area | Tools or materials dropped from scaffolding, falling debris | Head injuries, often serious |
Swinging object | Suspended and pivoting | A crane load, a backhoe boom, a wall being raised | High force, can be fatal |
Rolling object | Moves at ground level | A truck, forklift, or piece of equipment | Frequently fatal |
The four types don't share the danger equally. Rolling objects, mainly vehicles, and falling objects cause the largest share of struck-by deaths, because a moving truck or a dropped load carries enough mass and speed to be lethal. Solid building materials and hand tools, by contrast, drive most of the nonfatal injuries. A crane creates a swinging-object hazard through its suspended load; a forklift or truck creates a rolling-object hazard simply by operating near people on foot. Together these four types make struck-by one of construction's deadliest hazard groups, and the numbers show why.
How Common and Dangerous Are Struck-By Accidents?
Struck-by incidents caused about 150 construction deaths and roughly 14,000 nonfatal injuries in 2020, making them the second-leading cause of construction fatalities and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in the industry. That death figure comes from the CDC/NIOSH struck-by bulletin, which draws on CPWR data; a separate NIOSH release cites 168 deaths for the same year, so treat the count as roughly 150 to 170.
The human and economic toll is steep. According to CDC and NIOSH, the serious nonfatal struck-by claims in 2020 carried about $1.4 billion in workers' compensation direct costs for cases with more than five days away from work. Vehicles drive much of the fatal risk: in 2019, struck-by incidents involving vehicles accounted for 47% of construction struck-by fatalities, while falling objects accounted for about 27%.
Some trades face more exposure than others. Helpers, ironworkers, and sheet metal workers rank among the workers most likely to suffer a nonfatal struck-by injury, largely because of where they stand relative to moving equipment and overhead work. Understanding why these numbers stay stubbornly high starts with the causes.
Common Causes of Struck-By Accidents
About 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks and cranes, which makes vehicle and equipment operation the single largest cause of these accidents. Most causes trace back to the same few conditions: large mass moving near workers, poor visibility, and objects that aren't secured. Grouping the causes by hazard type shows how each one happens.
- Rolling-object causes: A forklift or truck strikes a worker on foot, often during a backover when the operator's rear view is blocked. Vehicle rollovers add another rolling risk, especially without a functioning seat belt and rollover protection.
- Swinging-object causes: A crane load or a pivoting backhoe boom swings into a worker who has entered the swing radius. Unbalanced or improperly rigged loads make this worse.
- Falling-object causes: Tools, materials, or debris drop from scaffolding or overhead work because they weren't tied off, barricaded, or stored to prevent sliding.
- Flying-object causes: Saws, grinders, and nail guns eject fragments or fasteners at speed, turning ordinary tasks into eye and head hazards.
The common thread is predictability. Because most struck-by accidents follow the same patterns, most of them can be prevented.
How to Prevent Struck-By Accidents
Struck-by accidents are largely preventable through PPE, securing loads and tools, separating workers from moving equipment, and following OSHA's 29 CFR 1926 standards. Prevention works best as layers: gear that protects the individual, site practices that remove the hazard, and regulatory duties that hold employers accountable.
A practical prevention checklist:
- Wear a hard hat rated to ANSI Z89.1 wherever falling or flying objects are possible, plus safety glasses or a face shield for flying-object work.
- Put workers in high-visibility clothing so equipment operators can see them.
- Use a spotter or signal person to guide vehicles and cranes, and never enter a load's swing radius.
- Set up traffic control plans and exclusion zones that keep people out of drop zones and vehicle paths.
- Secure loads, stack materials to prevent collapse, and use toe boards, guardrails, and debris nets on elevated work.
- Require seat belts on equipment with rollover protection, and inspect vehicles before each shift.
These duties are written into OSHA's construction standards. Mapping the four hazard types to the standards that govern them makes the legal expectations concrete:
Hazard type | Primary OSHA standard (29 CFR 1926) |
|---|---|
Rolling (vehicles, equipment) | Subpart O, Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment (incl. §1926.601) |
Swinging (crane loads) | Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks |
Falling and flying objects | Subpart E, Personal Protective Equipment; Subpart G, Signs, Signals, and Barricades |
NIOSH also runs an annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents, a set-aside period when employers pause work to train crews on these exact hazards. When prevention fails and a worker is hurt anyway, the next question is about rights and compensation.
Compensation After a Struck-By Accident
A worker injured in a struck-by accident can usually recover through workers' compensation, and may also have a separate third-party claim when someone other than the employer was at fault. These are two different paths, and an injured worker can sometimes pursue both. The information here is general and varies by state, so it isn't legal advice.
Workers' compensation is the first path. It's a no-fault system: an injured worker files a claim and can recover medical costs and a portion of lost wages without having to prove the employer did anything wrong. Because deadlines to report the injury and file the claim vary by state, an injured worker should report the injury and seek care promptly.
The second path is a third-party claim. When a party other than the employer caused the injury through negligence, such as a subcontractor, an equipment manufacturer, or a property owner, an injured worker may bring a separate claim against that party. The same principle applies to a related Fatal Four hazard such as a construction fall accident, where fault often lies with more than one party. A third-party claim can cover losses that workers' comp does not, which matters for serious struck-by injuries like traumatic brain injuries or fractures. Because fault and eligibility turn on the specific facts, it helps to speak with a construction injury attorney about your options before deciding how to proceed.
A simple sequence after a struck-by injury: report it to your employer, get medical treatment, document the scene and what struck you, and preserve any evidence before contacting a lawyer. Many specific questions come up at this stage, and the answers below cover the most common ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a struck-by accident in construction?
A struck-by accident is an injury caused by forcible contact or impact with a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object. It is defined by impact, which separates it from a caught-in/between injury caused by crushing. OSHA lists struck-by as one of its Fatal Four construction hazards.
What are the four types of struck-by hazards?
The four types are flying, falling, swinging, and rolling objects, classified by how the object moves. Flying objects are propelled through the air, falling objects drop from heights, swinging objects pivot on a support such as a crane, and rolling objects move at ground level, like vehicles and equipment.
What is the difference between struck-by and caught-in/between?
The difference is the injury mechanism. A struck-by injury comes from impact alone, when a moving object strikes a worker. A caught-in/between injury comes from crushing or compression, when a worker is pinned, caught, or squeezed between objects. Both are OSHA Fatal Four hazards but they are counted separately.
Is being struck by a vehicle a struck-by accident?
Yes. A worker hit by a moving truck, forklift, or piece of equipment is a struck-by accident, specifically a rolling-object hazard. Vehicles are the most dangerous category; in 2019, vehicle incidents accounted for 47% of construction struck-by fatalities, and about 75% of all struck-by deaths involve heavy equipment.
Are struck-by accidents part of OSHA's Fatal Four?
Yes. OSHA's Fatal Four, sometimes called the Focus Four, are falls, struck-by, electrocution, and caught-in/between. These four hazards cause most construction worker deaths each year. Struck-by ranks second among them for fatalities, behind falls, and first for nonfatal injuries in construction.
How many construction workers are killed by struck-by accidents each year?
Struck-by incidents killed about 150 construction workers in 2020 according to the CDC/NIOSH bulletin, with a related NIOSH release citing 168 for the same year. They also caused roughly 14,000 nonfatal construction injuries. Struck-by is the second-leading cause of construction fatalities after falls.
What PPE protects against struck-by hazards?
Hard hats rated to ANSI Z89.1 protect against falling objects, and safety glasses or face shields protect against flying objects from saws, grinders, and nail guns. High-visibility clothing helps equipment operators see workers on foot, reducing rolling-object incidents. PPE is one layer of protection, not a substitute for site controls.
What OSHA standards cover struck-by hazards?
Struck-by duties fall under 29 CFR 1926. Subpart O covers motor vehicles and mechanized equipment, Subpart CC covers cranes and derricks, Subpart E covers personal protective equipment, and Subpart G covers signs, signals, and barricades. Together these set the employer's legal obligations for preventing struck-by injuries.
What should I do immediately after a struck-by injury at work?
Report the injury to your employer right away, then seek medical care even if the injury seems minor. Document what struck you, where, and how, and note any witnesses. Preserve evidence such as photos and equipment details. Because claim deadlines vary by state, act promptly and consider legal advice.
Can I get workers' compensation for a struck-by injury?
In most cases, yes. Workers' compensation is a no-fault system that can cover medical care and part of your lost wages after a struck-by injury, regardless of who was at fault. You generally must report the injury and file within your state's deadline, which varies, so report it as soon as possible.
Can I sue a third party after a struck-by accident?
Possibly. When someone other than your employer, such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner, caused the injury through negligence, you may have a separate third-party claim in addition to workers' comp. Eligibility depends on the facts and your state's law, so it's worth reviewing your situation with an attorney.