How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 589 severe eye injury cases between 2015 and 2025, with cuts, lacerations, and punctures accounting for 30 percent of all reports. These incidents often involve deep lacerations or fractures to the orbital bone that require immediate surgical intervention.
Vision is essential to your trade, and damage to your eye can permanently alter your ability to perform your job. Beyond the immediate pain, these injuries often lead to long-term complications that impact your depth perception, focus, and ability to return to high-precision tasks.
How these injuries happen
Propelled objects are the primary driver of eye trauma, with 38 percent of all severe cases caused by items striking you. Whether it is a snapped metal strap, a flying valve, or debris from a grinder, these incidents often occur when safety protocols or personal protective equipment fail to contain high-velocity hazards.
| 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 percent of severe eye injuries, largely due to the high volume of heavy machinery and pressurized tools in use. Manufacturing follows closely at 22 percent, where constant exposure to metal chips, particles, and chemical lines creates a high-risk environment for your ocular health.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve sudden equipment failures, such as pressurized lines bursting or metal fasteners snapping under tension. These incidents frequently happen during your routine maintenance or abatement tasks where unexpected energy release occurs. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you 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 your medical expenses and lost wages, and it often includes specific benefits for permanent impairment or loss of function. If your eye injury results in long-term vision changes, you may be entitled to additional compensation based on the degree of disability. An attorney can help you evaluate your medical records and ensure your claim accounts for your future impact.
Employers are required under OSHA standards to provide appropriate personal protective equipment when hazards exist. If you were injured because your employer failed to provide safety glasses or face shields, this may be a critical factor in your claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether safety violations contributed to your injury and help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
Recovery times vary significantly depending on the nature of your trauma, ranging from simple lacerations to complex globe ruptures requiring multiple surgeries. Because eye injuries often involve delicate internal structures, your healing process can be lengthy and may require ongoing specialist care. An attorney can help you document your recovery timeline to ensure your claim covers all your necessary medical treatments.
Chemical burns caused by exposure to hazardous substances at work are covered under Workers' Compensation laws. These injuries require immediate medical attention to prevent permanent damage to your cornea or surrounding tissue. An attorney can assist you in documenting your exposure and ensuring your employer's insurance provider covers the full scope of your medical needs.