OSHA Fatal Four#2 cause of construction death

Struck-By Safety: vehicles, equipment & falling objects

OSHA calls struck-by objects another leading cause of construction-related deaths, and about 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes. The defense is unglamorous: the pre-use inspection that catches the failed backup alarm, the worn choker, or the cracked fork before it strikes someone. This hub maps the OSHA rules for the equipment that does the striking — forklifts, motor vehicles, aerial lifts, cranes and scaffolds — with the inspection duty and the CFR paragraph for each.

Verified against osha.gov · July 23, 2026

Which inspection does OSHA require? Log an inspection

At a glance

Three struck-by types

Struck by a vehicle; struck by a falling or flying object; struck by a collapsing masonry wall

OSHA struck-by eTool

Forklifts / PIT

Operators trained and evaluated; the truck examined before service and at least daily; any unsafe truck taken out of service

1926.602(d) → 1910.178(l); inspection 1926.602(c)(1)(vi)

Motor vehicles

Checked at the beginning of each shift with all defects corrected before use; a reverse-signal alarm where the rear view is obstructed

1926.601(b)(14),(b)(4)

Cranes

Operators trained, certified/licensed and evaluated before operating; a competent person inspects the crane each shift

1926.1427(a), 1926.1412(d)

Scaffolds

Competent-person inspection before each shift and after any event affecting integrity; falling-object protection beyond hard hats

1926.451(f)(3),(h)(1)

Falling objects & head

Hard hats wherever there is a risk of head injury from impact or falling/flying objects; masonry-wall limited-access zone

1926.100(a), 1926.706

75%

Struck-by deaths involving heavy equipment

trucks & cranes

OSHA struck-by eTool

1 in 4

Struck-by-vehicle deaths that are construction workers

more than any other occupation

OSHA struck-by eTool

Most-cited OSHA standard, FY2025

Powered industrial trucks · 1910.178

1910.178

2,152

Scaffold citations, construction

FY2025 federal

1926.451

Fatality context from OSHA’s Construction struck-by eTool and CPWR; struck-by is the #2 Fatal Four hazard, after falls. Citation figures are federal construction (NAICS 23) for FY2025 (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards); PIT (1910.178) is #8 all-industry. In 2024, construction and extraction work recorded 1,032 fatal injuries (BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, released February 2026).

Which pre-use inspection does OSHA require?

Pick the equipment to see who must inspect it, how often, what to check, and the tag-out rule — each with the CFR paragraph. Runs on the same verified engine as our full Equipment & Scaffold Inspection tool.

What equipment is it?

Most struck-by deaths involve heavy equipment. The pre-use inspection is what catches the failed backup alarm, the worn choker, or the cracked fork before it strikes someone — and it’s a duty with a CFR paragraph, not a formality.

Pick your equipment to see who must inspect it, how often, what to check, and the tag-out rule — with the CFR paragraph.

The three struck-by types

OSHA’s construction struck-by eTool sorts the hazard into three families. Each has its own controls — and its own standard.

Struck by a vehicle

Backing dump trucks, delivery vehicles and mobile equipment strike workers on foot in the blind spot, and workers riding equipment that overturns or leaves the roadway. One in four struck-by-vehicle deaths is a construction worker — more than any other occupation. Internal traffic control, spotters, high-visibility apparel, and a reverse-signal alarm are the controls.

1926.601, 1926.201

Struck by a falling or flying object

Tools, materials and debris dropped from heights; loads that swing or slip from a crane or hoist; particles thrown from powered tools. Hard hats, toeboards, screens, guardrails, debris nets, canopies, barricaded fall zones, and eye/face protection are the layered controls.

1926.451(h), 1926.100, 1926.102

Struck by a collapsing masonry wall

A masonry wall that fails before it is braced. OSHA requires a limited-access zone the wall height plus four feet along the unscaffolded side while the wall is built, and adequate bracing on walls over eight feet until the wall is permanently supported.

1926.706(a),(b)

The pre-use inspection, by equipment

Nearly every struck-by control comes back to one duty: inspect the equipment before it runs, and pull it if it’s defective. Here is who inspects, how often, and the standard — for the equipment that does the striking.

Equipment	Who & how often	Remove from service	CFR
Forklift / powered industrial truck	Before being placed in service, at least daily (after each shift if used round-the-clock)	29 CFR 1926.20(b)(3)	29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) (ANSI B56.1-1969)
Motor vehicle (construction)	At the beginning of each shift	29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14) — correct all defects before use	29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14)
Aerial lift (boom-type)	Before each use / each shift, per manufacturer	29 CFR 1926.453(b)(2)(i) — lift controls tested each day prior to use to determine they are in safe working condition	29 CFR 1926.453 (ANSI A92.2) — extensible/articulating boom platforms, aerial ladders, vertical towers
Scissor lift (mobile scaffold)	Before each use / each shift, per manufacturer	29 CFR 1926.451(f)(4) — any part damaged or weakened below the required strength is immediately repaired, replaced, braced, or removed from service until repaired	29 CFR 1926.451 and 1926.452(w) — a scissor lift is a mobile scaffold, not an aerial lift
Crane (construction)	Each shift, by a competent person, before or during first use	29 CFR 1926.1412(d)(2) — deficiency corrected before use if it is a safety hazard	29 CFR 1926.1412(d)
Scaffold	By a competent person before each work shift, and after any event affecting structural integrity	29 CFR 1926.451(f)(4) — immediately repair or replace, brace, or remove from service until repaired	29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)

Inspection scope is drawn verbatim from each cited standard. Follow the manufacturer’s operator manual for the full item list.

Where the equipment citations land

Powered industrial trucks (1910.178) are the #8 most-cited OSHA standard, all industries, in FY2025. Federal OSHA doesn’t break PIT out by state for construction, but the State-Plan states that report under federal numbering do — and Maryland’s MOSH stands out:

Forklift/PIT (1910.178) construction citations by State-Plan state — FY2025

Powered-industrial-truck (1910.178) construction citations by State-Plan state, FY2025 (NAICS 23)
Standard	Citations
Maryland (MOSH)	40
Oregon OSHA	14
Tennessee	13
Hawaii	10
Virginia	9
Kentucky	7

State-Plan states reporting under federal numbering. Source: OSHA Frequently Cited Standards (FY2025, NAICS 23). Scaffolds (1926.451) drew 2,152 federal construction citations the same year.

A caught defect is only a defense if it’s logged

The rule isn’t “inspect” — it’s “inspect, and take the defective unit out of service.” When a worker is struck, the first question is whether the equipment was inspected and whether the known defect was tagged out. A dated inspection log with the tag-out is the difference between a defense and a citation.

This is what HazComFast keeps together

Every forklift, vehicle, crane, aerial lift and scaffold check — timestamped, with the tag-out flagged, the photo attached, and the operator’s sign-off — kept in one place all year and exportable on demand. The proof that the defect was caught and the unit pulled, ready the day it matters.

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Key facts

OSHA's construction eTool calls struck-by objects another leading cause of construction-related deaths and says about 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes (OSHA struck-by eTool, read October 6, 2026). U.S. construction and extraction work recorded 1,032 fatal injuries in 2024 (BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2024).
Forklift/PIT operators must be trained and evaluated — 1926.602(d) makes 1910.178(l) apply to construction — and the truck must be examined before being placed in service and at least daily; a truck found unsafe is tagged, locked out, or physically removed from its place of operation. In construction the inspection duty runs through 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) (ANSI B56.1-1969) and removal through 1926.20(b)(3).
Every construction motor vehicle is checked at the beginning of each shift with all defects corrected before use, and a reverse-signal alarm is required where the driver's rear view is obstructed (1926.601(b)(14), (b)(4)).
Crane operators in construction must be trained, certified/licensed and evaluated before operating covered equipment, and a competent person inspects the crane each shift (1926.1427(a), 1926.1412(d)).
Scaffolds are inspected for visible defects by a competent person before each work shift and after any event affecting structural integrity; workers also get falling-object protection beyond hard hats — toeboards, screens, or debris nets/canopies (1926.451(f)(3), (h)(1)).
Hard hats are required wherever there is a risk of head injury from impact or from falling or flying objects (1926.100(a)).

Tools, guides and the standards

Free tools

Equipment & Scaffold Inspection
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Crane Lift Plan Calculator
Plan a lift: load, radius, capacity and sling angles.
Near-Miss & CAPA Report
Capture a struck-by near miss and its corrective action.
Job Hazard Analysis Builder
Break a task into its struck-by steps, hazards and controls.
Incident Cost Calculator
What a struck-by injury actually costs.

In-depth guides

Standards & related

Glossary

Struck-by FAQ

What is a struck-by hazard?

A struck-by injury results from forcible contact between a worker and an object or piece of equipment. OSHA groups struck-by hazards in construction into three types: struck by a vehicle (backing trucks and mobile equipment), struck by a falling or flying object (dropped tools, swinging crane loads, thrown particles), and struck by a collapsing masonry wall. Struck-by is one of the Fatal Four, which OSHA calls another leading cause of construction-related deaths; about 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes.

How often must a forklift be inspected?

A powered industrial truck must be examined before being placed in service and at least daily — after each shift when it is used around the clock. On a construction site that duty runs through 29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi), which requires industrial trucks to meet ANSI B56.1-1969 for design, construction, stability, inspection, testing, maintenance and operation; the equivalent general-industry paragraphs are 1910.178(q)(7) and (p)(1). A machine that is not in compliance must be tagged or locked out, or physically removed from its place of operation (1926.20(b)(3)). Operators must also be trained and evaluated — 1926.602(d) makes 1910.178(l) apply to construction work.

Do crane operators need to be certified?

Yes. In construction, the employer must ensure each operator is trained, certified/licensed, and evaluated before operating any equipment covered under Subpart CC (29 CFR 1926.1427(a)), with narrow exceptions. Separately, a competent person must inspect the crane each shift for deficiencies before or during first use, and correct any deficiency that is a safety hazard before use (1926.1412(d)). Signal persons must be qualified (1926.1428).

What must be checked on a construction vehicle before each shift?

29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14) requires that all vehicles in use be checked at the beginning of each shift to assure that all parts, equipment, and accessories that affect safe operation are in proper operating condition and free from defects — and all defects must be corrected before the vehicle is placed in service. The checked items include the service brakes (and trailer brake connections), parking system, emergency stopping system, tires, horn, steering, coupling devices, seat belts, operating controls, and safety devices. Where the driver's rear view is obstructed, a reverse-signal alarm is required (1926.601(b)(4)).

What falling-object protection is required on a scaffold?

In addition to wearing hard hats, each employee on a scaffold must be protected from falling hand tools, debris, and other small objects through toeboards, screens, or guardrail systems, or through debris nets, catch platforms, or canopy structures that contain or deflect the falling objects (29 CFR 1926.451(h)(1)). The scaffold itself is inspected for visible defects by a competent person before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect its structural integrity (1926.451(f)(3)).

Is a near miss with a forklift recordable?

A near miss is not OSHA-recordable — 1904.7 records actual injury or illness outcomes, and a near miss produces none. But there is one mandatory response specific to powered industrial trucks: an operator involved in an accident or a near-miss incident must receive refresher training and be re-evaluated (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(B)). Capturing and correcting the near miss is also leading-indicator evidence of a working safety program.

Sources

Inspection duties (1926.602(c)(1)(vi) → ANSI B56.1-1969, with 1910.178(q)(7)/(p)(1) as the general-industry equivalents; 1926.601(b)(14); 1926.1427(a); 1926.451(f)(3),(h)(1); 1926.706) verified verbatim against osha.gov on July 23, 2026. Struck-by fatality context is OSHA’s struck-by eTool, CPWR, and the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (2024, released February 2026), labeled by year. Citation figures are OSHA’s FY2025 Frequently Cited Standards (NAICS 23). General guidance, not legal advice; OSHA-approved State Plans may impose additional requirements.

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