The Focus Four Hazards in Construction

Each of the four kills in a different way:

• Falls — from roofs, leading edges, ladders, scaffolds, and through floor holes. The #1 cause of construction death.
• Struck-by — hit by flying, falling, swinging, or rolling objects: vehicles, falling tools, swinging loads, flying particles.
• Caught-in or -between — trapped, crushed, or pinched: trench cave-ins, unguarded machinery, being pinned between equipment and a fixed object.
• Electrocution — contact with overhead or buried power lines, energized parts, damaged cords, or missing grounding.

Two of the four have their own dedicated training here, and the two that don't are covered in this category:

• Falls → see Working at Heights for guardrails, harnesses, ladders, and scaffolds.
• Electrocution → see Electrical Safety for power lines, GFCIs, LOTO, and approach distances.
• Struck-by and Caught-in/between → covered directly in this Construction Safety category.

Wherever a hazard is covered, the point is the same: the control goes in before the work, not after the close call.

These deaths are predictable, which means they're preventable. A few habits cover most of it:

• Plan the task and name which of the four applies before you start.
• Guard the edge, guard the machine, guard the trench, and keep clear of suspended loads and swing radii.
• Treat every wire as live and keep the required distance from power lines.
• Wear the PPE the hazard calls for — hard hat, eye protection, hi-vis, fall protection.
• Stop the job if a control is missing; don't work around it.