How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 167 severe cases of clothing ignition over the last decade. Thermal burns account for 99 percent of these incidents, often resulting in life-altering injuries that require extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
These events frequently cause damage to multiple trunk locations, with the chest and extremities being common targets. The severity of these burns often leads to prolonged hospitalizations and significant time away from your job.
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Clothing ignition typically occurs when flammable materials like apparel come into contact with ignition sources such as sparks from welding, heating tools, or chemical vapors. In many cases, the failure to provide adequate flame-resistant clothing or the presence of hazardous substances in your work area creates an environment where a single spark leads to a catastrophic injury.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thermal burns | 165 |
| 2 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 56 percent of these incidents, as you frequently handle high-heat machinery and flammable chemicals. Construction sites also present elevated risks, where welding slag or open flames can easily ignite standard work uniforms that lack proper fire-resistant ratings.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you being exposed to chemical vapors or sparks while performing routine tasks like furnace charging or welding. These incidents often highlight a disconnect between the hazards present in your work environment and the protective gear provided to you. 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 | TX | Manufacturing | "The injured employee had been working with xylene in a paint booth and exited the paint booth for a smoke break. The employee dropped his lighter, causing his clothing to catch fire, possibly from xylene vapors. The employee sustained burns from their chest down to their thighs and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was charging the furnace when a spark from the furnace ignited and struck the employee's undershirt. The employee sustained burns to their lower back, hands, and front abdomen." | |
| 2025 | MA | Retail Trade | "Brake fluid on an employee's clothing ignited, resulting in burns over 13 percent of his body." | |
| 2025 | DE | Construction | "An employee was on a ladder welding when a piece of slag fell onto his sweater which caught fire. The employee sustained burns to the upper body." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was lancing the slide gate on a drained ladle. The employee pulled the trigger while trying to remove the second pipe and some oxygen flowed out of the line and saturated his uniform. The employee was on the third lance pipe when slag and sparks flew in his direction causing his flame resistant uniform to ignite. The employee sustained third-degree burns to his legs." | |
| 2025 | VA | Manufacturing | "An employee was in a welding booth preparing to TIG weld a pipe socket. The employee's clothing caught fire and she sustained third-degree burns on her face, neck, chest, and stomach." | |
| 2025 | NY | Construction | "An employee was grinding a steel plate when a spark set his glove on fire and burned the back of his left hand. He suffered second- and third-degree burns and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | AK | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing a weld test when a piece of slag fell and their shirt and pants caught fire. The employee sustained second- and third-degree burns to the chest, abdomen, and thighs. Leathers or flame-resistant clothing were not used at the time." | |
| 2025 | ID | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was servicing a golf cart in a building and was using a propane double tank radiant heater for warmth. His back was to the heater and his clothing caught on fire. The employee sustained burns. " | |
| 2025 | NE | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing tack welding on fittings when their shirt caught fire, resulting in third-degree burns to their chest and abdomen." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.