How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 589 severe eye injuries over the last decade, with cuts, lacerations, and punctures accounting for 30% of all reported cases. These incidents often involve permanent damage, such as ruptured globes, which require immediate surgical intervention and long-term medical care.
Damage to your eyes carries profound consequences for your ability to perform your job and maintain your quality of life. Even a partial loss of vision can end your career in skilled trades, manufacturing, or any role requiring depth perception and visual precision.
How these injuries happen
Most eye injuries occur when you are struck by a propelled object or substance, which accounts for 38% of all severe cases. These incidents frequently involve chips, particles, or pellets that bypass standard safety glasses, or pressurized equipment that releases debris at high velocity.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 220 |
| 2 | Injured by object handled by person | 71 |
| 3 | Exposure to harmful substance through exposed tissue | 48 |
| 4 | Fall on same level | 34 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 31 |
| 6 | Struck against stationary object | 29 |
| 7 | Struck by falling object | 24 |
| 8 | Other fall to lower level | 23 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 23% of reported eye injuries, followed by manufacturing at 22%. These environments often involve high-speed machinery, grinding operations, and chemical handling where the failure to maintain proper machine guarding or enforce strict eye protection protocols leads to life-altering accidents.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve pressurized lines, snapping metal straps, and chemical reactions that bypass standard protective gear. These incidents often stem from equipment failure or unexpected pressure releases during routine maintenance. 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 played a role.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was conducting abatement operations using a floor grinder. The grinder came in contact with the plastic cord of a window blind, causing the grinder's handle to strike the employee near the right eye. The employee suffered a fracture near the eye socket, along with a laceration near the eye." | |
| 2025 | ID | Agriculture | "Three maintenance employees were working on chemical lines feeding into a large above ground wastewater treatment tank. Sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid reacted in a floor drain and the chemicals sprayed onto the three employees. One employee was taken to the hospital for burns to his eyes." | |
| 2025 | TX | Wholesale Trade | "A driver was strapping down metal to put on the truck. The metal strapping snapped back and hit his left eye. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery for a ruptured globe." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "On June 26, 2025, a pipe testing specialist was preparing to service a sewer cleanout. They opened a valve and were struck in the face by pressurized water. The employee was hospitalized with injuries to their left eye socket and eyebrow." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was adding a new gauge for a pipe when air pressure built up and ejected the new metallic valve. The valve struck the employee, resulting in an eye injury and a fracture to the face beneath the eye." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "The injured employee was helping a co-worker secure finishing material to a pallet using steel strapping (5/8" wide, 0.20" thick). The co-worker went to hand the strapping to the injured employee when they bent down and their right eye contacted the steel strapping, resulting in a laceration to the cornea and injury to the retina." | |
| 2025 | LA | Manufacturing | "An employee was in a physical altercation with another employee and he was hospitalized with an orbital fracture and bleeding behind the eye." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was cleaning an upper mezzanine. When he leaned against the mezzanine gate, he fell through the gate opening and landed 11 feet below. The employee sustained fractured orbital bones." | |
| 2025 | FL | Other Services | "An employee was using a pry bar to remove a vehicle door. The pry bar slipped out of the employee's hands and hit their face below the right eye, causing a corneal laceration that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "Two employees were removing a discharge hose on a portable pump. A 50% caustic solution sprayed onto the employees, one of whom suffered burns to the eyes as well as an abrasion to the side of the body where the hose struck them. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for your work-related injuries, including permanent partial disability for vision loss. The amount of compensation depends on the severity of your impairment and the impact on your future earning capacity. An attorney can help you evaluate your medical records to ensure your claim reflects the full extent of your injury.
Your employer is required under OSHA standards to provide appropriate personal protective equipment when hazards are present. If a lack of safety gear or inadequate machine guarding contributed to your injury, you may have grounds for a claim beyond standard Workers' Compensation. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer violated safety regulations and how that impacts your legal options.
Recovery timelines for your eye injury vary significantly based on whether the damage involves the cornea, the retina, or the orbital bone. You may require multiple surgeries and long-term rehabilitation to regain even partial function. An attorney can help you document your ongoing medical needs to ensure your claim accounts for long-term recovery costs.
Chemical burns are compensable workplace injuries if they occur during the course of your employment. These injuries often require specialized care and can lead to long-term complications like chronic dryness or sensitivity. An attorney can help you navigate the claims process to ensure you receive the necessary medical treatment and financial support.