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Caught Between: Avoiding ‘Strike,-Caught,-Crush’ Injuries with Equipment Fatality File

Employee Is Pinned Between Two Tree Trunks And Is Fatally Injured

At 1:30 p.m. on January 9, 2025, Employee #1 was working as a construction laborer for a civil engineering firm and was refueling gas canisters. A coworker was operating a Link Belt 250X4 LF hydraulic excavator on the transfer barge during a dredging operation. Employee #1 was working on the barge within the swing radius of the excavator. The excavator rotated and pinned the employee between the counterweight and the metal fuel container. Employee #1 was fatally injured due to multiple injuries.

The incident underscores how “caught-between” hazards — being crushed, pinned or trapped by equipment, materials, or structures — remain a deadly risk in industries where heavy materials, moving parts, or unstable loads are involved. Employers must ensure that equipment and materials are secured, work zones are delineated, and safe work procedures are strictly followed to prevent workers from being squeezed and crushed.

Source: Osha.gov