How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 3,025 severe cases involving non-running objects that shifted or rolled unexpectedly. Amputations account for 71% of these injuries, representing the most frequent and severe outcome for you when caught in these incidents.
The physical impact of these events is concentrated on your fingers, which account for 77% of all reported injuries. These incidents often result in life-altering trauma that requires immediate medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
Common injuries
These injuries typically occur when you handle heavy materials that are improperly secured or stored. Stationary sawing machinery is involved in 37% of these cases, often when you are repositioning materials or clearing debris. When heavy objects like pipes or steel channels are not properly braced, they can shift during manual handling, trapping your limbs between the object and a work surface.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 2,130 |
| 2 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 369 |
| 3 | Fractures | 331 |
| 4 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 100 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 30 |
| 6 | Bruises, contusions | 13 |
| 7 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 8 |
| 8 | Sprains, strains, tears | 7 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 46% of these incidents, largely due to the constant movement of heavy raw materials and finished components. In these environments, the failure to secure loads during transit or processing creates a high risk for you when you must manually guide or position heavy items near machinery.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you manually repositioning heavy loads that shift unexpectedly during the process. Whether it is a pipe rolling off a table or a steel channel slipping from a hoist, these incidents frequently occur during routine material handling tasks. If your injury occurred while you were handling or positioning heavy materials that shifted, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances of your case.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | AR | Manufacturing | "On July 30, 2025, an employee was assisting co-workers in using a hoist to position an injection molding tool onto a work table. As the tool was being lowered, the slide section shifted, trapping and amputating the employee's right thumb tip." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "An employee was hanging wire mesh from a lift that was approximately 15 feet high. As the employee was adding tension to the wire, a U-bolt slid down, causing a left index fingertip amputation." | |
| 2025 | OK | Information | "An employee was removing 2,500-foot reels of 1 cable-in-conduit (CIC) weighing ~1,022 lbs. from the back of an enclosed delivery truck. The employee was manually rolling a reel off the truck when another reel shifted and rolled forward, crushing his right hand between the two reels. The employee's right ring finger was partially amputated without loss of bone." | |
| 2025 | MS | Manufacturing | "An employee was rolling pipe on a table to reposition it and finish grinding on the edge. Another pipe (weighing 4 tons) was moving down the same table and struck the employee. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs and a partial lung collapse on the right side." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was separating a bundle of steel channel using a lifting device. While the employee was inserting a piece of wood dunnage between the pieces of material, the load shifted. This caused the steel channel to come down and pinch the employee's index finger, leading to a partial amputation of the fingertip." | |
| 2025 | CO | Manufacturing | "An employee was working to move a paper roller carriage, which is a 3 by 3-foot paper roll weighing approximately 500 pounds. The employee's hands were positioned in the area where the spool meets the cradle. As the employee moved the carriage across a floor track, the paper roll was dislodged and caught the employee's finger, severing it. The employee's right middle fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was assisting a customer with attaching a trailer to their vehicle using a trailer mover. The trailer slipped from the trailer mover. As a result, the trailer mover struck the employee s left knee. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured left kneecap that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was onsite to load a van with carts filled with packages for delivery. She was handling a cart (weighing approximately 300 to 500 pounds) down a ramp. The cart began to pull her down the ramp. At the foot of the ramp was another ramp with a railing. The cart struck the railing and the employee's hand was caught between the cart handle and the railing. The employee's right middle fingertip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | FL | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was driving a forklift and unloading racks of glass from a truck. A rack began to tilt; the employee exited the forklift and went to stabilize it. The rack tipped and pinned his left arm against the forklift. The forearm was broken and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "Employees were putting the cap end back on an oil cooler that was sitting on wooden cribbing at ground level. They had to roll the unit on wooden blocks so a flange on the side of the cooler would not hit the cribbing. While an employee was moving the blocks using a short piece of 8-by-8, his left middle fingertip was caught and crushed between two blocks. The finger was partially amputated." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
The most common injuries are amputations, which occur in 71% of reported cases. These events also frequently cause severe lacerations and fractures when your hand or finger is crushed between two heavy items. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your injury for your claim.
Employers are required to ensure that materials are stored and handled in a way that prevents them from falling or shifting. If your employer failed to provide proper training, securement devices, or safe procedures, they may be liable for your injuries. An attorney can help you evaluate whether your employer met these safety obligations.
Workers' compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries that happen on the job, regardless of fault. Because these injuries are often severe, navigating the system to ensure you receive full benefits is essential. An attorney can help you ensure your claim accurately reflects the severity of your condition.
If equipment failure or lack of proper guarding contributed to your injury, report the incident to your supervisor immediately and seek medical care. Documenting the condition of the equipment and the circumstances of the accident is vital for your claim. An attorney can help you guide you through the process of gathering this evidence.