How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 2,515 severe incidents involving you being struck by propelled objects or substances. The most common nature of these injuries is cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 42% of all reported cases.
These events frequently cause severe damage to fingers and eyes, often requiring surgery or resulting in permanent loss of function. The high rate of fractures (22%) and amputations (6%) highlights the significant kinetic energy involved when fasteners or machine parts strike you.
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Struck-by injuries occur when energy is unexpectedly released from tools, fasteners, or pressurized equipment. Common scenarios involve fasteners or metal chips flying during assembly, hydraulic couplings failing under pressure, or stored kinetic energy releasing from jammed machinery. These incidents often stem from inadequate machine guarding, improper tool maintenance, or the failure to use required protective barriers.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 1,040 |
| 2 | Fractures | 548 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 328 |
| 4 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 149 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 80 |
| 6 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 78 |
| 7 | Intracranial Injuries | 74 |
| 8 | Surface and flesh wounds— unspecified | 38 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 33% of these severe incidents, largely due to the high volume of high-speed machinery and assembly processes. Construction follows at 27%, where the use of heavy tools and overhead work creates frequent exposure to falling or propelled materials. In both sectors, the failure to implement strict safety protocols around pressurized systems and rotating equipment significantly increases your risk of injury.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents follow a pattern of equipment failure or unexpected energy release during routine maintenance and operation. You are often struck when hydraulic hoses burst, pressurized components shatter, or jammed materials suddenly release stored force. If these scenarios mirror your experience, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances to determine if employer negligence contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating equipment to cut a copper pipe (20 feet in length, 2 inches in diameter) when a jam occurred between the revolver assembly and the pinch roller assembly. He assessed the jam and determined that the copper pipe needed to be cut using a battery-powered reciprocating saw. He made two cuts on the pipe with the reciprocating saw. When the second cut was finished, kinetic energy stored within the pipe due to the jam released, and the pipe struck the employee's left hand. The employee's index fingertip was partially amputated before the first knuckle without bone loss." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was hammering a pin into an engine. When he struck the pin with the hammer, the pin shattered and a small piece entered the employee's leg. He was hospitalized and required surgery to remove the shard." | |
| 2025 | OK | Construction | "An employee was preparing to replace links in the track of a dozer. As he was setting up a hydraulic press tool and working to get it in the right position, a coupling on a hydraulic hose gave way. The coupling struck the employee's right arm, resulting in lacerations and a fracture." | |
| 2025 | VA | Mining | "An employee had been performing abrasive blasting operations in the sonar dome of a submarine. The employee completed replacing the outer blast glass layer on their blast hood and, while kneeling, the dead-man switch on their blast hose was actuated. High pressure (125-130 psi) air and blast media struck and injured their left forearm and hand. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | OH | Administrative Services | "An employee was undercutting a tree that was lying on a cable when the tree broke and flipped onto them. The employee was hospitalized with fractures to their pelvis, ribs, and back." | |
| 2025 | NY | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was putting dishes into a cabinet when a drinking glass fell out. The glass hit the counter and broke, cutting the back side of the employee's wrist. The employee sustained a laceration and tendon damage to their right wrist." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "An employee was hammering a metal collar on a piece of equipment when a small piece of metal broke off and entered their arm and hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "On July 22, 2025, an employee was cutting/torching a large piece of metal when a piece of the material broke loose, struck him mid-stomach, and knocked him to the ground. The employee was hospitalized with an umbilical hernia and fractures to his right femur and left fibula." | |
| 2025 | PA | Wholesale Trade | "Two employees were using a stationary shear to cut scrap metal material into pieces. The injured employee was working as the "picker," standing at the shaker table to remove any garbage or wood from the cut material. Employee 2 was loading material onto the shear for processing. A piece of metal was ejected from the shear and struck the injured employee. He was hospitalized with a laceration to his abdomen. The shear was not guarded at the time." | |
| 2025 | CO | Administrative Services | "An employee was pressure washing a bulldozer to clean off trash and dirt when his hand was lacerated by the high-pressure stream of water. The employee required surgery." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.