How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 63 severe incidents involving the cheek over the last decade. Fractures are the most common nature of injury, representing 49 percent of all reported cases, often resulting in significant pain and the need for surgical intervention.
Injuries to the cheek are uniquely disruptive because they impact both facial structure and essential functions like chewing and speaking. Damage to this area frequently leads to long-term recovery periods, temporary or permanent disfigurement, and a reduced ability to perform physically demanding job duties.
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Most cheek injuries occur when you are struck by propelled objects or substances, which accounts for 24 percent of all reported incidents. These accidents often involve equipment failure, such as saw kickbacks or loose crane hooks, that turn materials into dangerous projectiles. When safety protocols regarding machine guarding or load securement are ignored, your face is often the first point of impact.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 15 |
| 2 | Injured by object handled by person | 8 |
| 3 | Other fall to lower level | 7 |
| 4 | Fall on same level | 6 |
| 5 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 3 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 3 |
| 7 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 2 |
| 8 | Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 33 percent of reported cheek injuries. The construction environment, where you frequently handle heavy materials and operate power tools, creates constant exposure to flying debris and falling objects. Manufacturing follows as the second most common industry, where heavy machinery and pressurized systems pose similar risks to your facial safety.
Real cases like yours
Incident reports reveal a recurring pattern of equipment failure and inadequate safety measures during routine tasks like cutting, lifting, or machine maintenance. You are frequently struck by materials that break loose, kick back, or splinter unexpectedly during operation. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was checking the grade of a pipe invert in a new precast concrete inlet box and determined that it needed to be trimmed. The employee was cutting the box with a demolition saw when the blade bound up and the saw kicked back, severely lacerating his right cheek." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was moving several bundles of building materials with an overhead crane. The load was off-center when he picked it up, so the employee set it down, repositioned the chains, and lifted the bundle again. When the bundle was lifted, one of the hooks immediately came loose and shot back, striking him on his right cheek. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured cheekbone and facial lacerations, and he required surgery." | |
| 2024 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was preparing to lift a steel plate with a clamp. The clamp got caught on the buck while the hoist was being raised and it came loose, catching the plate and throwing it into the air. The plate hit the employee in the face and fractured his cheek bone. " | |
| 2024 | GA | Administrative Services | "An employee was using a pry bar to line up a pin on a machine. The bar slipped from his hands and struck his cheek. He suffered a fracture and was hospitalized, requiring surgery." | |
| 2023 | TX | Construction | "On December 14, 2023, at 8:40 p.m., three employees were inspecting milling machines for startup. A few of the sleeves on the mill drum needed to be changed out. The injured employee was trying to input a sleeve on the mill drum using a hammer. The hammer hit the edge of the drum, which caused a metal piece to splinter off and strike the employee's cheek just below the left eye. The metal splinter embedded in the back of their eye socket, resulting in pain, swelling, and bleeding that required hospitalization." | |
| 2023 | TX | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was operating recycling equipment at the site's concrete recycling plant. As they were removing steel cable from a piece of concrete that was being processed for recycling, the steel cable pulled free and contacted the employee's face. They sustained a face laceration and a cheekbone fracture." | |
| 2023 | TX | Mining | "An employee was running pipe into a hole on a rig floor. He was still running the other joint into the hole when the laydown machine shot the joint of pipe. The pipe hit the employee in the jaw and he fell backward, suffering a fractured cheekbone." | |
| 2023 | FL | Accommodation & Food Services | "An aerosol can of non-stick spray landed on a hot grill. As one employee attempted to remove the can, it fell to the floor and then exploded, striking and lacerating the injured employee's cheek." | |
| 2023 | NJ | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was processing vehicles when a vehicle did not stop directly in front of his station. The employee stepped onto the vehicle track to retrieve paperwork from the vehicle. The employee then slipped on the track and fell approximately 5 feet onto the ground below, resulting in a facial laceration as well as a cheek bone fracture." | |
| 2023 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was assisting a customer in an aisle when an altercation arose. The employee was shot by the customer in the left cheek." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.