How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,849 severe cases of contact with hot objects or substances over the last decade. Thermal burns account for 98% of these injuries, which often require extensive medical treatment and lengthy recovery periods.
The high frequency of injuries to hands and extremities highlights your vulnerability when you operate near high-temperature equipment.
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Thermal injuries often occur when you interact with steam, vapors, or non-chemical liquids, which account for 42% of all reported incidents. Common scenarios include splashing hot oil during food preparation, contact with pressurized hot water lines, or accidental exposure to molten materials during manufacturing processes. These events frequently stem from inadequate machine guarding, failed maintenance of heating appliances, or the absence of proper protective barriers between you and high-temperature surfaces.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thermal burns | 1,818 |
| 2 | Other or multiple types of burns | 8 |
| 3 | Burns, corrosions, electrical injuries— unspecified | 7 |
| 4 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 7 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 2 |
| 6 | Burns and toxic effects (including smoke inhalation) | 2 |
| 7 | Surface and flesh wounds and other injuries | 1 |
| 8 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 55% of all reported thermal burn cases, largely due to the prevalence of high-heat machinery and industrial processing equipment. Accommodation and food services also face significant risks, where the frequent handling of hot cooking oils and high-temperature fryers creates a constant environment for potential contact injuries.
Real cases like yours
Incident reports reveal a recurring pattern of you sustaining severe burns while performing routine maintenance or cleaning tasks on hot equipment. Many injuries occur when pressurized systems fail, protective seals blow out, or hot materials splash during transfer between containers. 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 | GA | Manufacturing | "On July 31, 2025, two employees were walking near a friction wash tank when a rubber gasket on top of the tank blew. Hot water mixed with 50% caustic chemical sprayed out and rained down on the employees. Both employees were brought to an emergency shower and were neutralized with vinegar. One employee was hospitalized with chemical and thermal burns to their upper back and eyes." | |
| 2025 | FL | Health Care | "An employee went outside to dispose of oil from a cooking pot into a large dumpster. When dumping the hot oil, it splashed back and burned her right hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | SD | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was working to change the cooking oil in a 1-gallon countertop fryer. The fryer was held in place by three C-clamps. When two of the clamps were removed, the fryer fell and the hot oil contacted the employee from the waist down. The employee sustained burns to their lower body." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "On July 29, 2025, at approximately 1:15 PM, an employee was cleaning a vent on an extruder machine. He was breaking a hardened plastic clog by hitting it with a mallet and a screwdriver. When he broke through the first layer of plastic, hot liquefied plastic that was under the hardened surface splashed onto the employee causing burns to his face, neck, arms, and hands." | |
| 2025 | SD | Manufacturing | "An employee was priming a cook pump and sustained burns from contact with hot water (140-200 degrees F)." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a fork truck to move a tub containing molten iron that had been drained from the cupula. The tub tipped over and the molten metal came in contact with water. This caused the molten iron to splash back and burn the employee's upper torso." | |
| 2025 | LA | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee transferred boiling water from a rethermalizer (kitchen equipment) into a bucket for cleaning the kitchen floor. Some of the hot water spilled onto the employee's left foot, causing severe burns." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was working on a hot motor when radiator fluid sprayed onto his right hand, hip, back, and torso, resulting in second-degree burns that required hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | FL | Health Care | "At the end of an event, the injured employee was working with another employee to transfer a chafing dish from the bar area to the kitchen. The dish fell, causing hot water to spill onto the injured employee. The employee sustained burns to her stomach, right leg, and toes." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was prepping a dip pot for cleanout. He was moving a utility cart into position. While moving the dip pot onto the cart, hot weatherstripping product spilled out of the pot and onto the employee's hand. The employee sustained burns to his left hand and wrist requiring hospitalization." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.