How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 272 severe cases involving pressurized equipment over the last decade. Fractures are the most common outcome, accounting for 28 percent of these incidents.
The high-energy release of pressure often leads to severe thermal burns and traumatic injuries that require extensive surgical intervention and long-term recovery.
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Explosions in the workplace often stem from the failure of pressurized containers, which account for 39 percent of reported incidents. Common scenarios include the catastrophic failure of undercarriage components during maintenance, the accidental ignition of aerosol cans near welding arcs, or the over-inflation of tires during routine service. These events typically involve equipment that was either improperly maintained, incorrectly pressurized, or used in environments where heat or sparks could trigger a rupture.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 75 |
| 2 | Thermal burns | 67 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 29 |
| 4 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 26 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 19 |
| 6 | Intracranial Injuries | 17 |
| 7 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 11 |
| 8 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing leads all sectors with 18 percent of these severe incidents, largely due to the constant use of high-pressure systems and welding equipment. Retail trade and construction follow, where you may frequently handle heavy tires and pressurized tanks without the specialized training or safety protocols required to manage the risks of sudden equipment failure.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents involve you performing routine maintenance on tires, welding near flammable canisters, or repairing hydraulic suspension systems. These reports frequently describe sudden, high-force failures that leave you with little time to react, leading to life-altering injuries like amputations or severe burns. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you determine if employer negligence contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CT | Other Services | "On July 19, 2025, an employee was filling a wheelbarrow tire with air when the tire exploded, resulting in severe injuries to their right hand including a partial amputation." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was moving a piece of metal he had just finished welding. The corner of the metal triggered the welding gun. The welding gun arced to an aerosol paint can and the can exploded. The employee sustained burns to his face, arms, and hands, and had blisters around his nose and mouth." | |
| 2025 | FL | Other Services | "A mechanic was replacing the airbag suspension on the front axle of a utility trailer. The airbag blew out, causing an injury to the mechanic's left foot that required hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2025 | MT | Retail Trade | "An agricultural tire failed and struck an employee's face and left hand. The employee suffered a cut above the left eye and multiple fractures in the hand and was hospitalized for surgery." | |
| 2025 | NY | Construction | "An employee was welding on a diesel transfer tank inside a garage. After several minutes of welding, the tank exploded. The employee was thrown from the truck on fire and suffered burns." | |
| 2025 | NE | Manufacturing | "An employee was lighting a pilot light that burns off residual oxygen in the purge chamber of a heat-treating furnace. Residual gas and built-up oxygen in the purge chamber caused an explosion, which blew the front of the furnace's door off its track and the hood/exhaust system off its rivets. The employee was knocked down and suffered burns and lacerations to the left side of his face." | |
| 2025 | CO | Construction | "An employee was helping with directional bore operations. The drill hit a high-pressure gas line. The employee was thrown up into the air and fell to the ground. The employee suffered injuries to the front and back of the head, a broken wrist, and abrasions to the legs." | |
| 2025 | MS | Administrative Services | "A mechanic was replacing the passenger's side airbag on the rear end of a truck when the driver's side airbag on the rear end blew and the employee sustained injury to the left hand, wrist and forearm. The employee sustained fractures that required hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "On April 22, 2025, at approximately 6:35 p.m., an employee was working on a turnaround project. The crew was venting off nitrogen from an 18-inch pipeline into a 2-inch silencer vessel. The 18-inch pipe was pressurized with nitrogen gas at approximately 1200 psig. The silencer suddenly ruptured and its internal components were blown away. The shell of the silencer struck downward, landed on the employee's left hand due to high pressure, and lacerated the employee's left index finger resulting in amputation. The employee's left wrist was also broken." | |
| 2025 | GU | Professional Services | "An employee was inflating a new tire on a tug. The tire exploded, lacerating the employee's right hand and breaking their right hip." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.