National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents March 2023 | NIOSH

Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of workplace deaths and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among construction workers. In 2020, there were 168 construction worker deaths and approximately 14,000 nonfatal construction injuries from struck-by incidents. Learn more about how you can get involved and host a National Stand-Down event at your worksite. Together let’s prevent ALL struck-by incidents in construction!

Construction workers face many challenges and threats to their safety and health, including being struck by an object or piece of equipment. Struck-by incidents include

• incidents involving vehicles and transportation equipment;
• falling tools or objects, flying and discharged objects; and non-transportation vehicles or equipment, such as swing hazards from cranes.

These incidents are preventable and could be avoided through better understanding of the hazards, improved planning, implementation of interventions, and increased training. Continuing efforts are needed to address struck-by hazards on construction sites.

The 5th annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents will coincide with National Work Zone Awareness Week, occur April 15-19, 2024.

National Work Zone Awareness Week aims to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The event reminds drivers that they can protect workers and themselves by slowing down, avoiding distractions, and being alert when driving through work zones. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is planning the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents with the NORA Construction Sector Council,  the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), and many other partners in the construction industry, academia, and across the federal government.

What is a Safety Stand-Down?

In construction, “safety stand-downs” are used to describe activities where normal work is paused and groups of workers or the entire site focuses on a specific safety issue. Some employers may use stand-downs to call attention to specific interventions that may be used to address hazards present on their site. This year the Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents will focus on prevention of injuries and fatalities in highway work zones.

A kick-off event for the 2024 Stand-Down will occur on April 15, 2024, at a large construction site near Mobile, Alabama. Stay tuned for more information about this event which is being planned by the Alabama Road Builders, Alabama Associated General Contractors, Alabama Department of Transportation, and ARTBA.

Join or Host a Struck-by Safety Stand-Down Event

Contractors, workers, and safety professionals across the nation are invited to join or host a Struck-by Safety Stand-Down event to highlight a leading cause of injury and death for construction workers. A safety stand-down event is an opportunity to educate workers on hazard prevention topics.

While the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is oriented to construction workers and construction workplaces, preventable struck-by incidents occur in many other types of workplaces. Feel free to participate and let your colleagues know about this important event—you may be able to broaden efforts to prevent struck-by incidents to help workers in many other industries and types of workplaces!

Resources and additional information related to this hazard and the National Stand-down are available on the NIOSH National Construction Center’s website.