How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 6,794 cases involving you being struck by falling objects over the past decade. Fractures are the most common outcome, accounting for 45% of these incidents, often requiring extensive medical intervention and time away from your job.
These events frequently result in permanent damage, with amputations representing 24% of reported injuries. Fingers are the most commonly affected body part, as you often have little time to react when heavy materials or equipment shift unexpectedly.
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Injuries occur when safety protocols for securing materials fail, allowing items to drop or tip onto you. Metal materials and machine parts are the most frequent sources of these strikes, often occurring when items are being moved, stacked, or dismantled. Whether it is a pipe falling during assembly or a load tipping from a forklift, these incidents typically stem from inadequate storage or improper handling procedures.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 3,000 |
| 2 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 1,594 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 805 |
| 4 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 394 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 237 |
| 6 | Intracranial Injuries | 237 |
| 7 | Bruises, contusions | 102 |
| 8 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 97 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 36% of these incidents, largely due to the constant movement of heavy raw materials and specialized machine parts. Construction follows closely at 23%, where the dynamic nature of job sites and the use of elevated equipment create frequent opportunities for objects to fall and strike you while you work below.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you performing routine tasks like moving equipment or cutting materials when a load unexpectedly shifts or loses support. These incidents often occur because of a failure to secure the object or a lack of clear communication between team members. If your injury occurred during a similar task where a load was not properly stabilized, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances of your case.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "Employees were removing a damaged uninterrupted power supply (UPS) from an audio/visual rack system. The injured employee was pulling from the front. Two other employees were pushing from the rear when they lost their grip. The UPS fell, pinching the injured employee s middle finger against the floor. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated without bone loss." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was working to assemble a rotator head onto a landing joint. The rotator head fell onto the employee's leg and fractured it." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "A forklift was placing an elevated load onto a truck. The forklift tipped forward and fell on the injured employee who was standing nearby. The employee sustained fractures to their hip and ribs, as well as leg muscle injuries." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "An employee was cutting a cast iron pipe when the pipe fell onto his right hand, resulting in amputation of the thumb. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Information | "An employee was closing a hand hole lid when the lid fell on the employee's fingers. The employee's left middle fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was retrieving a hose from a trailer. The employee tripped over a crossover sub and fell off the trailer. The crossover sub then rolled off the trailer and struck the employee's leg between the knee and ankle. The employee sustained a fracture." | |
| 2025 | NY | Retail Trade | "On July 30, 2025, at approximately 8:00 a.m., an employee was unloading a truck when three sliding patio door panels, which weighed approximately 450 pounds each, fell on his head and neck area, pinning him inside the truck and causing him to lose consciousness." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was repairing a compact track loader. He was removing supports from the lift arms when the lift arms fell and trapped him under the machine. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery for a broken leg. He also sustained twisted vertebrae, a crushed jugular vein, a fractured shoulder, fractured ribs, and required staples to his head." | |
| 2025 | IL | Health Care | "On July 29, 2025, an employee was moving a table to reset a classroom in the education center. The tabletop flipped and landed on the employee's left foot, crushing three of her toes. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery for lacerations and fractures to her foot and three toes." | |
| 2025 | WI | Professional Services | "On July 29, 2025, an employee was removing a bolt from a metal racking beam. The beam fell, and the employee's hand was crushed between the beam and a pallet of bricks. Two of the employee's fingers were amputated." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.