How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 153 severe cases involving running powered equipment that kicked back or moved unexpectedly. These incidents frequently result in cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 39% of all reported injuries in this category.
The high frequency of amputations, representing 37% of cases, highlights the extreme danger you face when operating these tools. Fingers are the most commonly affected body part, often suffering permanent damage that requires extensive medical intervention and long-term recovery.
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Free Benefits ReviewCommon injuries
Injuries often occur when handheld cutting tools like saws and routers strike embedded materials or bind during operation. When a blade catches on rebar, cable, or dense material, the equipment can jump or kick back toward you with significant force. These events are frequently linked to the use of cutting handtools, which are involved in 35% of all reported incidents.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 59 |
| 2 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 57 |
| 3 | Fractures | 23 |
| 4 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 5 |
| 5 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 3 |
| 6 | Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries | 2 |
| 7 | Bruises, contusions | 1 |
| 8 | Nonfatal 'crushing' injuries | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads with 47% of all severe incidents, as you frequently operate heavy-duty saws and drills in unpredictable site conditions. Manufacturing follows at 32%, where stationary sawing machinery and grinding tools create constant exposure to potential kickback hazards that require strict adherence to safety protocols.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports show a recurring failure where equipment binds against materials like concrete, plastic, or metal, causing the tool to jump toward you. These incidents often involve severe lacerations to the hands, arms, or neck that necessitate immediate hospitalization and surgery. 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 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a core drill to bore through concrete at an active construction site. The equipment struck embedded rebar in the concrete, causing the handle to kick back and strike the employee's ribs. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was cutting a piece of plastic molding with a handheld router when the router kicked out and contacted the employee's right thumb. The employee was hospitalized with hand injuries that required repair." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was cutting down the front of a concrete panel when the concrete saw kicked back and lacerated his neck. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | WI | Construction | "An employee was sawing cable on the ground using a handheld concrete saw. The saw blade caught on the cable and jumped, striking and lacerating the employee's left calf." | |
| 2025 | MA | Manufacturing | "An employee was grinding a part when the grinding disk got caught on the part and jumped outward, contacting the employee's left forearm. The employee suffered a gash and severed artery that required hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was conducting abatement operations using a floor grinder. The grinder came in contact with the plastic cord of a window blind, causing the grinder's handle to strike the employee near the right eye. The employee suffered a fracture near the eye socket, along with a laceration near the eye." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was scoring a concrete slab with an angle grinder. The slab fractured prematurely and caused the spinning blade of the angle grinder to become jammed and then lacerate the employee's left upper leg above the knee area. The employee sustained a 3-inch laceration." | |
| 2025 | AL | Construction | "An employee was using a saw to cut a bathroom block when the saw kicked back. The employee's thumb was amputated." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "On July 7, 2025, an employee was cutting concrete pipe for a storm sewer when the concrete saw bound up and kicked back, cutting the employee on the right side of their face. The employee was hospitalized and required over 200 stitches." | |
| 2025 | RI | Construction | "An employee was cutting a piece of concrete curb with a cut-off saw when it kicked back and lacerated their left arm." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.