OSHA Focus Four Hazards

Scope

Construction safety is one of OSHA’s top concerns. Construction inspections comprise 60 percent of OSHA’s total inspections. The agency has determined the four major hazards that construction workers face are:

• Falls
• Struck-by
• Caught–in or –between
• Electrocution

These are the primary dangers that OSHA emphasizes in training and outreach efforts because they account for the majority of construction-related fatalities.

Regulatory citations

• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E – Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart G – Signs, Signals, and Barricades
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart H – Materials Handling, Storage, Use, and Disposal
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I – Tools – Hand and Power
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K – Electrical
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L - Scaffolds
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M – Fall Protection
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart N – Helicopters, Hoists, Elevators, and Conveyors
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O – Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment, and Marine Operations
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P – Excavations
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Q – Concrete and Masonry Construction
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart R – Steel Erection
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart S – Underground Construction, Caissons, Cofferdams, and Compressed Air
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart T – Demolition
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart V – Electric Power Transmission and Distribution
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart W – Rollover Protective Structures; Overhead Protection
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X – Stairways and Ladders
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction

Definitions

• Caught-in/between: Caught-in or -between injuries occur when a person is squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two or more objects, or parts of an object.
• Construction work: As defined in 1926.32, construction work means work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating.
• Fall hazard: A fall hazard is anything at the worksite that could cause someone to lose their balance or lose bodily support and result in a fall. Any walking or working surface can be a potential fall hazard.
• Focus Four hazard: Four major hazards that construction workers face are fall, struck-by, caught–in or –between, and electrocution hazards. OSHA refers to them as Focus Four hazards and includes these topics in its OSHA 10- and 30-hour construction curriculum.
• Qualified person: One familiar with the construction and operation of the equipment and the hazards involved (1926.449).
• Struck-by: Struck-by injuries occur when there is impact or forcible contact between a person and an object, such as a falling tool or swinging piece of equipment. When the impact alone creates the injury, it’s considered a struck-by event.

Summary of requirements

Focus Four hazards are covered in the OSHA 10- and -30-hour construction curriculum. These courses aren't required by federal OSHA, but some states, municipalities, and employers require them.

See also these ezExplanations for employer requirements related to Focus Four hazards:

Required OSHA construction training at-a-glance

Fall protection for construction activities

Scaffolds for construction activities

Steel erection for construction activities

PPE – General for construction activities

Barricades for construction

Work zones for construction activities

Signs for construction

Excavations for construction activities

Concrete and masonry construction

Electrical for construction activities

Underground construction

Cranes and derricks for construction

Heavy equipment and vehicles