Key areas covered
- Machine Guarding and Pinch Point Hazard Control
- Trench and Excavation Cave-In Prevention
- Structural Collapse, Formwork, and Caught-Between Prevention in Heavy Construction
Caught-in/between incidents involve workers being caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed by equipment, materials, or structures. As a foreman, you must identify pinch points, rotating and moving parts, excavation cave-in risks, and structural collapse potential before work begins. Machine guarding, lockout/tagout, trench protection systems, and shoring plans are your primary tools for preventing these fatalities.
Machine Guarding and Pinch Point Hazard Control
Caught-in machine injuries occur when workers contact rotating parts, in-running nip points, or reciprocating mechanisms. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.300(b)(2) requires that all machines with exposed moving parts be guarded to protect operators and others in the machine area. As a foreman, your responsibilities include: verifying all guards are in place before any machine is started, prohibiting removal of guards during operation or maintenance (which requires LOTO per 29 CFR 1926.417), enforcing no loose clothing, jewelry, or long hair near rotating equipment, and designating approach boundaries for powered equipment such as concrete mixers, saws, and compactors. In-running nip points between rollers, belt drives, and chain drives are especially dangerous because they pull the body in faster than the worker can react. The only effective protection is a physical barrier — administrative controls and awareness training are insufficient for nip point hazards.
Why it matters
In-running nip points do not warn before they catch a worker. The entrapment happens in milliseconds and the severity of injury scales with the machine's power. A guard takes 30 seconds to verify. The alternative is an amputation or crush fatality.
Field note
Add 'guard check' to your pre-shift walkthrough checklist for every machine on site. Document it. When a guard is found missing, take the machine out of service until the guard is restored — not at the end of the shift, immediately.
Trench and Excavation Cave-In Prevention
Cave-in is the leading killer in excavation work and one of the most preventable construction fatalities. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652 requires that all trenches 5 feet or deeper use a protective system — sloping, shoring, or trench shields — unless the excavation is in solid rock. As a foreman, you must: designate a competent person to classify soil type before any worker enters a trench, select a protective system that matches the soil classification (Type A, B, or C), inspect the excavation daily and after rain or other events that could affect soil stability per 29 CFR 1926.651(k), keep excavated spoil at least 2 feet from the trench edge, and ensure safe access/egress (ladder within 25 feet of lateral travel) at all times workers are in the trench. Type C soil — the most common on construction sites — allows only 1.5H:1V maximum slope ratio or must use a trench box. Never allow workers to enter an unprotected trench and never assume a short or shallow trench is safe without classification.
Why it matters
A cubic yard of soil weighs approximately 2,700 pounds — more than a compact car. A trench collapse provides no warning and no escape. Workers in an unprotected trench are seconds from death. Trench protection is non-negotiable on every shift.
Field note
Your competent person must be on site whenever workers are in a trench — not available by phone, physically on site. If the competent person leaves, workers exit the trench. No exceptions. Inspect the trench walls every time you walk past them, not just at shift start.
Structural Collapse, Formwork, and Caught-Between Prevention in Heavy Construction
Caught-in/between fatalities in heavy construction occur during concrete formwork collapses, precast panel tipping, structural steel buckling, and demolition debris trapping. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.703 establishes requirements for formwork and shoring: all formwork must be designed by a qualified person, erected per that design, and inspected by a competent person before concrete placement begins. As a foreman, verify that reshoring plans are in place for multi-story pours, that no shore or reshoring member is removed before the concrete has achieved the design strength per the engineer's schedule, and that workers are not permitted in or under formwork being stripped until the area is barricaded. For precast concrete, 29 CFR 1926.704 requires a detailed erection procedure with approved brace design and a prohibition on removing braces until the structure is tied in. Demolition creates caught-between hazards from falling walls, sudden structural failure, and unstable debris piles — 29 CFR 1926.850 requires an engineering survey before any demolition begins.
Why it matters
A formwork collapse during a concrete pour is one of the highest-casualty events in construction. The combination of fluid concrete weight, failed shores, and multiple workers in the pour area creates mass-casualty potential. The engineer's shoring and reshoring plan is not a suggestion — it is a life-safety document.
Field note
Before any concrete pour, walk the formwork with your competent person and check that every shore, wedge, and brace matches the approved shop drawing. Confirm that the pour sequence and rate match the formwork design load. A pour that exceeds the design rate can overload forms before workers realize a collapse is starting.