US Department of Labor’s OSHA Continues Outreach Campaign in Midwest to Protect Workers from Struck-By Vehicle Incidents on Job Sites

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the past five years, 15 percent of all workplace fatalities investigated by the Kansas City Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration have involved struck-by vehicle accidents in the workplace. Struck-by injuries and fatalities are caused by conventional traffic/passenger vehicles, forklifts and other moving, powered industrial equipment, such as cranes and yard trucks. Because of this, OSHA is continuing its regional outreach initiative in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska to educate workers and their employers about preventing such accidents.

“We’ve investigated 37 cases in the past six years in which a worker was fatally injured from a struck-by vehicle incident,” said Marcia P. Drumm, OSHA’s acting regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. “By continuing to spread awareness and safety tips through workers, employers, union groups and the like, we can help avoid these preventable tragedies.”

Causes of struck-by accidents typically involve reverse vehicle movement into a pedestrian outside the driver’s field of vision, or vehicles falling off ramps, inclines or unstable ground. Accident prevention strategies include ensuring back-up alarms are functional, walk periphery of vehicle before operating, staying alert, obeying all traffic rules and signs, minimizing distractions, inspecting and maintaining vehicles, using safety belts and turning on headlights.

OSHA has developed educational materials called Evaluate Your Entire Surroundings, or E.Y.E.S., available in both English and Spanish. The materials include a one-page fact sheet with incident data and prevention strategies; an “OSHA Region 7 Informational Guide for Preventing Struck-By Accidents”; a brochure that covers risk assessment steps, common operator errors and safety tips and a laminated poster.

Electronic copies of materials regarding this initiative, as well as limited printed copies, can be obtained for free by contacting OSHA’s offices in St. Louis, Mo. at 314-425-4249; Wichita, Kan. at 316-269-6644; Kansas City at 816-483-9531; Omaha, Neb. at 402-553-0171 or Des Moines, Iowa at 515-284-4794. Ask for the duty officer when ordering.