How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 117 severe forehead injuries over the past decade. The vast majority of these incidents involve deep cuts, lacerations, and punctures that penetrate the skin, often requiring immediate hospitalization and emergency surgery.
A forehead injury is more than a surface wound because it often involves the underlying bone structure or sensitive facial nerves. Damage to this area can impact your ability to return to your previous role, especially if the injury results in chronic pain, vision complications, or long-term cosmetic disfigurement.
Forehead injury at work? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Free Benefits ReviewHow these injuries happen
Falls on the same level are the leading cause of these injuries, accounting for 26% of all reported cases. Whether you trip over debris on a construction site or slip on a wet warehouse floor, the impact against a hard surface frequently results in severe forehead trauma. Other common scenarios involve being struck by propelled objects or falling materials.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall on same level | 30 |
| 2 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 19 |
| 3 | Other fall to lower level | 16 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 8 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 6 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 4 |
| 7 | Struck against stationary object | 4 |
| 8 | Injured by object handled by person | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 26% of these severe incidents, followed by construction at 24%. In these environments, you are frequently exposed to high-pressure equipment, heavy machinery, and overhead work where a single lapse in safety protocols can lead to a direct impact on your forehead.
Real cases like yours
Reports show a pattern of sudden, high-impact events where you are struck by pressurized couplings, falling tools, or debris during routine tasks. Many incidents occur when safety guards are absent or when you are caught in the path of a falling object while performing maintenance. 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 | NY | Construction | "On May 4, 2025, at approximately 12:45 PM, an employee was walking to her car when she fell and a piece of metal mesh penetrated the skin of her forehead. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was installing gutters from a ladder, about 14 feet above the ground. The employee fell from the ladder to the ground, hitting their head and suffering a forehead fracture." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee working in the material service department suffered a laceration to the forehead, resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee opened a pipe coupling. The test cap struck the employee's forehead, causing a laceration and fracture." | |
| 2024 | TX | Mining | "An employee was using a 24 aluminum pipe wrench to remove a 2 reducer assembly from a 2 casing valve that included a needle valve and a small gauge. The employee was struck in the forehead with the connections when he removed the assembly due to a pressure release. The employee was hospitalized with a fracture and laceration above the left eyebrow and they required surgery." | |
| 2024 | NY | Construction | "An employee was hanging drywall using a scissor lift with the drywall board being hoisted up to the lift rail guards while on the ledger. The drywall board began tilting and pivoted toward the employee, striking him in the forehead and the bridge of his nose, knocking him to the floor. The employee suffered a scrape/cut on the forehead and pain in his shoulders and lower back. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was cutting a weld to free part of a lehr tunnel for removal. One of the zones of the tunnel shifted and struck the employee's head, causing a contusion and a forehead laceration." | |
| 2024 | OH | Retail Trade | "On September 5, 2024, at around 6:04 PM, an employee was leaving work for the day, tripped over the foot of a TV stand in the breakroom, and hit their head on a table. The employee was hospitalized with a laceration to the right side of their forehead." | |
| 2024 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a forklift. The forklift collided with an I-beam, causing the employee's forehead to hit the forklift cage area. The employee suffered a head laceration and was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | AR | Construction | "On March 20, 2024, at approximately 6:15 AM, the injured employee was assisting four other employees in drilling holes for guardrail installation with a pneumatic drill attached to a trailer-mounted air compressor. While moving the air hose, it was pulled taught by the moving trailer and it tripped the injured employee, causing them to strike their head on the pavement and sustain a blood clot to their temple area." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.