Avoiding Caught-Between Incidents Toolbox Talk

Caught-between incidents happen when a worker gets pinned, squeezed, crushed, or pulled between two objects or between an object and a surface. On a jobsite, that can happen around heavy equipment, trench walls, stacked materials, rotating parts, closing doors, moving loads, and tight work areas. These incidents are often sudden and severe, and they usually leave little chance to react once the hazard is in motion.

This talk focuses on how caught-between hazards show up during normal work and what crews can do to avoid them. We will cover common situations, safe work habits, and the warning signs that mean the job needs to stop before someone gets trapped or crushed.

Why This Matters

• Caught-between incidents can lead to crush injuries, amputations, internal injuries, or death.
• These hazards show up in excavation, equipment operation, material handling, and equipment maintenance.
• Workers can be exposed in seconds when they step into a pinch point or work too close to moving parts.
• Tight spaces, poor communication, and shifting materials make these incidents more likely.
• Many caught-between events happen during routine tasks when crews get comfortable and let their guard down.

Common Hazards

• Working between moving equipment and walls, columns, trailers, or stored materials.
• Standing in pinch points while guiding loads, materials, or equipment into place.
• Entering trenches or excavations without proper protection against cave-ins.
• Working near unguarded rotating parts, belts, chains, or rollers on tools and equipment.
• Placing hands where materials can shift, slide, or settle during lifting or stacking.
• Truck beds, gates, doors, or panels swinging shut in windy conditions or on uneven ground.

Safety Checklist

Before Work Begins

• Review the task and identify all pinch points, crush zones, and tight access areas.
• Inspect equipment guards, trench protection, chocks, blocking, and material storage.
• Plan where workers will stand before moving equipment, loads, or materials.
• Make sure operators, spotters, and ground workers understand the communication plan.
• Verify lockout or disconnect steps are in place before servicing or clearing jammed equipment.
• Check ground conditions, slopes, and staging areas where materials or equipment could shift.

During Work

• Stay out of pinch points and never put your body between moving equipment and a fixed object.
• Keep hands and feet clear when setting, stacking, or aligning materials.
• Use tools, tag lines, push sticks, or other methods instead of reaching into danger zones.
• Do not enter an unprotected trench or work under a raised load, bucket, or suspended material.
• Shut down and lock out equipment before clearing jams, adjusting guards, or making repairs.
• Watch for changing site conditions like vibration, soft ground, rain, or traffic that can shift equipment or materials.

Crew Talking Points

• Where are the main pinch points and crush zones in today’s work area?
• Are any tasks putting workers between equipment, loads, or fixed surfaces?
• Do we have the right trench protection, guarding, blocking, or lockout steps for this work?
• Are staging areas crowded in a way that could force someone into a tight space?
• Who is spotting equipment movement, and how are we communicating when visibility is limited?
• Does anyone see a setup, access point, or work habit that could trap someone if something shifts or moves?

Stop Work If

• You have to place yourself in a pinch point to do the task.
• Equipment guards are missing, damaged, or bypassed.
• A trench or excavation is not properly protected.
• Loads, materials, or equipment are unstable or shifting.
• Communication is unclear between operators, spotters, and ground workers.
• Weather, mud, vibration, or poor footing is increasing the chance of movement or collapse.

Final Reminder

Caught-between incidents are brutal and fast. Stay out of pinch points, control movement before the work starts, and stop the job any time something can trap, crush, or pull a worker in.