How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 15,092 severe cases of machinery entanglement over the last decade. Amputations account for 75% of these incidents, representing some of the most life-altering injuries reported to federal safety regulators.
The severity of these events is reflected in the high frequency of finger injuries, which account for 76% of cases. These incidents often result in permanent disability, requiring immediate medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation for you.
Common injuries
Entanglement occurs when your clothing, jewelry, or body parts are pulled into moving machine components during normal operation. Conveyors and extruding or molding machinery are the most frequent sources of these injuries, often because guards were missing, bypassed, or improperly maintained. You are frequently injured while clearing jams, taking measurements, or performing routine adjustments near spindles and rollers.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 11,224 |
| 2 | Fractures | 1,661 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 986 |
| 4 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 644 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 176 |
| 6 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 60 |
| 7 | Nonfatal 'crushing' injuries | 44 |
| 8 | Bruises, contusions | 36 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 70% of all reported entanglement cases. This elevated risk stems from the high density of automated production lines and heavy machinery, where constant interaction between you and moving parts creates frequent opportunities for contact if safety protocols are not strictly enforced.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents involve you reaching into equipment to clear debris, adjust settings, or take measurements while the machine is still powered. These reports frequently highlight how loose clothing or a momentary lapse in focus leads to catastrophic outcomes when machine guards are absent. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CO | Agriculture | "Two employees were operating a wood splitter. An employee was loading wood into the splitter when the tip of his right thumb was crushed between the rear end of the wood and the back metal plate of the wood splitter. The employee's thumb tip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a vertical mill to machine a fixture for an engineering project. The employee was using calipers to take a measurement of the fixture in proximity to the spindle when the sleeve of his shop coat got caught in the spindle, pulling his left hand into the tool. The employee sustained a severe abrasion to the back of his hand." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "At approximately 10:40 AM, on July 30, 2025, during operations on a rig at a well, the injured employee was in the derrick, working to pull back a joint of pipe. He encountered a shorter-than-standard pipe, which prevented him from securing his arm around it, so he grabbed the pipe by the collar with his left hand. The blocks were being lowered at the time. The bottom of the blocks contacted the top of the pipe while the employee's fingers were inside the collar. His middle and ring fingers were amputated and the index finger was partially amputated. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | CT | Construction | "An employee was bending sheet metal on a brake press. The press actuated while he was adjusting a piece of sheet metal, resulting in a crushing injury to the left arm." | |
| 2025 | MO | Arts & Entertainment | "At the end of a shift on the downhill coaster, an employee was waiting for an empty cart to arrive at the bottom so he could ride it back up the hill. The cart arrived with its seat belt safety lock engaged. The employee boarded the top of the cart and began working to disengage the lock by reaching under the cart. His right hand and two fingers got caught between the rear wheel of the cart and the coaster rail. His ring and little fingers were crushed and lacerated, resulting in surgery and partial amputation of the ring finger." | |
| 2025 | TX | Administrative Services | "On July 29, 2025, at approximately 8:30 AM, a temporary employee was performing the riveting process at her assigned station on the stamping line. Her left index fingertip became caught in a pinch point of a stamping machine. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was loading pipe into a flare machine when a part clamp caught her right hand. The hand was lacerated and broken. A light curtain was in place at the time of the incident." | |
| 2025 | KS | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was sorting packages on a conveyor belt. The employee's hand was caught between the belt and a transition plate, causing lacerations and burns to their hand and wrist." | |
| 2025 | WI | Administrative Services | "At about 11:45 p.m. on July 26, 2025, an employee was cleaning the floor with a pressure washer. While clearing away a piece of sausage, their left hand was caught between the rollers and the belt on a conveyor. The employee suffered partial amputations to the middle and ring fingers." | |
| 2025 | SD | Manufacturing | "An employee was assisting with rigging a magnet to an overhead crane in order to lift a sheet of steel. The employee's right thumb was between the crane's hook and the chain passing through the hook, and when the crane was raised, the distal end of their thumb was crushed. Part of the employee's right thumb was medically amputated." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Entanglement injuries frequently result in amputations, fractures, and severe lacerations that require multiple surgeries and extensive physical therapy. You may face permanent loss of function in your hands or fingers, which can impact your ability to return to your previous job duties. An attorney can help you understand how these long-term consequences factor into your Workers' Compensation claim.
Employers are strictly required by OSHA to provide adequate machine guarding to protect you from moving parts. If a guard was missing, bypassed, or broken, your employer may have failed to meet basic safety standards, which is a critical detail in your claim. An attorney can investigate whether safety violations contributed to your injury.
Workers' Compensation typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and a portion of lost wages while you recover. In cases of permanent impairment, you may also be eligible for disability benefits based on the severity of the loss. An attorney can help ensure your claim accurately reflects the full extent of your medical needs and financial losses.
While you can file a claim on your own, machinery entanglement cases often involve complex questions regarding safety compliance and the extent of permanent disability. An attorney can help gather evidence, document employer negligence, and ensure you are not pressured into an unfair settlement. An attorney can help you understand your rights and the benefits you are owed.