How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,318 severe incidents involving you being caught in running powered equipment over the recent reporting period. Amputations account for 76 percent of these cases, representing life-altering injuries that often require extensive surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
These events are particularly dangerous because they involve high-force machinery that can trap your limbs in milliseconds. Fingers are the most affected body part, appearing in 79 percent of all reported incidents, often leading to permanent loss of function or dexterity.
Common injuries
Entanglement injuries typically occur during routine maintenance, cleaning, or when you clear jams from active equipment. Conveyors are the leading source of these incidents, accounting for 16 percent of reports. You are often pulled into rollers, fan belts, or automated processing machinery when safety guards are missing, bypassed, or improperly maintained during operation.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 1,002 |
| 2 | Fractures | 125 |
| 3 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 54 |
| 4 | Nonfatal 'crushing' injuries | 43 |
| 5 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 33 |
| 6 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 22 |
| 7 | Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries | 11 |
| 8 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 71 percent of all entanglement cases, as the high volume of automated production lines creates constant exposure to moving parts. You face elevated risks in this sector when your employer fails to enforce strict lockout-tagout procedures or removes physical barriers that prevent contact with dangerous machinery components.
Real cases like yours
Reports consistently show that injuries happen when you interact with equipment that is still powered or lacks adequate guarding. Common patterns include fingers caught in valves, limbs dragged into roller dies during training, or arms trapped while clearing jams on conveyor belts. 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 | WI | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing routine maintenance on an air valve when their right ring finger became caught in the valve. The employee sustained an amputation to the fingertip. " | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was in training to learn how to change steel dies on a culvert machine. The employee was on top of the machine when the handheld control was activated, engaging the machine's auto-run function. The employee's feet were dragged into the roller dies, resulting in a left ankle fracture, a laceration between the ankle and knee, and amputation of the the big toe and second toe on the right foot." | |
| 2025 | KS | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was clearing a mail jam on a conveyor belt when her arm got trapped between the rollers. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured arm that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Other Services | "A driver was doing a pre-trip inspection on a tractor when their fingers got caught in a fan belt and the tops of two fingers were amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was replacing a pop-up roller between the drop plate table and the far stacker conveyor after clearing a jam. The pop-up roller became hung up on the frame of the roller flight conveyor. The employee s hand then became caught between the pop-up roller and the belts on the drop table. The employee sustained an avulsion to their right hand excluding the fingers. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Mining | "An employee was changing out the heads on mechanically-operated tongs when the tongs shifted into a lower gear, causing the employee's left hand to be crushed. The employee sustained amputations to their left index, middle, and ring fingers." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was working on the ingot loader of a aluminum processing machine and noticed a pin was not installed. The employee reached to retrieve the pin and the machine activated for a functions test. The machine closed on the employee's hand, resulting in a hand injury requiring hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | GA | Retail Trade | "An employee was fixing the gate on a cardboard baler when his left middle finger got caught in the gate. The employee's finger was partially amputated and he required surgery." | |
| 2025 | WI | Manufacturing | "On July 29, 2025, an employee was reinstalling a chute/guard that had been removed for cleaning. His hand slipped into a rotating gump feeder and the tip of his left thumb was partially amputated. " | |
| 2025 | TX | Professional Services | "An employee was troubleshooting and rodding out a piece of process piping equipment when their left index finger was caught between the tool handle and threaded flange. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Entanglement injuries frequently result in severe trauma, including amputations, fractures, and crushing damage to internal tissues. Recovery often requires multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and potential permanent disability that impacts your ability to perform your job duties. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your medical needs to ensure your claim reflects these long-term realities.
Workers' Compensation is designed to provide medical benefits and wage replacement for injuries you sustain on the job, regardless of who was at fault. This includes coverage for emergency surgery, ongoing rehabilitation, and compensation for permanent impairment resulting from an amputation or crush injury. An attorney can help you verify your benefits and ensure your claim is processed correctly.
While Workers' Compensation is generally the exclusive remedy for your workplace injuries, there are specific legal exceptions when an employer intentionally removes safety devices or ignores known hazards. If your injury resulted from a failure to comply with OSHA machine guarding standards, you may have additional legal options beyond standard benefits. An attorney can help you evaluate your case to determine if third-party liability or other legal avenues apply.
OSHA requires employers to implement comprehensive machine guarding and lockout-tagout procedures to protect you from moving parts. This includes installing physical barriers, ensuring emergency stop controls are accessible, and training you on safe maintenance protocols. When these protections are absent or ignored, an attorney can help you hold your employer accountable for failing to maintain a safe work environment.