Machinery Entanglement at Work — Injury Statistics and Claims Information
Machinery Entanglement at Work
High frequency of severe machinery accidents
OSHA recorded 1,318 severe cases of workers being struck by or caught in running powered equipment during maintenance, cleaning, or testing. These incidents frequently result in life-altering trauma, with 76.0% of reported cases involving amputations, avulsions, or enucleations.
The physical toll of these accidents is concentrated on the hands and fingers, which account for the vast majority of injuries. Beyond the immediate pain, these incidents often lead to permanent disability and long-term loss of function for the affected worker.
What's Driving the Trend?
Conveyors are the primary source of these incidents, accounting for 16.1% of all reported cases. Food and beverage processing machinery and packaging equipment also contribute significantly to the total, indicating persistent failures in equipment safety protocols.
Manufacturing leads all sectors with 70.9% of total incidents, reflecting the high density of automated machinery in these environments. Wholesale trade and transportation also show elevated risk levels, often due to the constant interaction between workers and high-speed sorting or processing systems.
Injury Types from Machinery Entanglement
Top causes based on OSHA incident reports
Entanglement often occurs when workers perform routine maintenance or clear jams while equipment is still energized. Common scenarios involve fingers or limbs being pulled into rollers, fan belts, or conveyor systems during cleaning or testing procedures. These incidents are frequently triggered by the unexpected activation of auto-run functions or the failure to properly isolate energy sources during repairs.
| 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 |
Why This Matters for Your Case
Employers are legally required to protect workers under 29 CFR 1910.212, which mandates that one or more methods of machine guarding must be provided to protect the operator from hazards. Failure to implement these safeguards, or neglecting to enforce strict lockout-tagout procedures, constitutes a direct violation of federal safety regulations.
Industries with Most Machinery Entanglement
Where these injuries occur most frequently
Manufacturing accounts for 70.9% of all reported entanglement cases, driven by the widespread use of automated production lines and high-speed processing equipment. Workers in this sector are at the highest risk because they must frequently interact with machinery to clear jams or perform adjustments while the equipment is in operation.
High-Risk Industries and Your Rights
In high-risk industries, employers must adhere to 29 CFR 1910.147, the control of hazardous energy standard, to ensure equipment is completely de-energized before maintenance. Additionally, 29 CFR 1910.212 requires that all points of operation and power transmission apparatuses be guarded to prevent contact with moving parts.
Real Incident Reports
From actual OSHA investigation files
Real incident reports reveal a recurring pattern where workers are injured while clearing jams or performing maintenance on conveyors and rollers. These narratives frequently highlight failures in energy isolation, where machines are activated unexpectedly while a worker is in direct contact with moving components, leading to severe crushing and amputation injuries.
"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. "
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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. "
"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."
Common Questions About Machinery Entanglement Claims
The ClaimsBoost Research Team aggregates official government data to help workers understand workplace injury trends and their coverage options.
ClaimsBoost is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. ClaimsBoost is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any government agency. Performance scores, rankings, and statistics displayed on this site are calculated by ClaimsBoost using publicly available government data from OSHA severe injury reports. Individual results may vary. Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice or a guarantee of benefits. If you need legal help, we can connect you with licensed attorneys in your area.Some written content on this page was created with the assistance of AI to help interpret and explain the data. AI can make mistakes — all content has been reviewed for accuracy, but we encourage you to verify any information that is important to your situation.