Abrasions at Work — Injury Statistics and Claims Information
Abrasions at Work
Severe abrasion incidents are trending downward
OSHA recorded 123 severe abrasion cases over the last decade, with incidents most frequently affecting the hands, fingers, and lower legs. These injuries often occur when skin is caught, rubbed, or struck by industrial equipment, leading to significant tissue damage that requires medical intervention.
The impact of an abrasion extends beyond the initial wound, as severe cases can lead to secondary infections, permanent scarring, or loss of function in the affected limb. For many workers, these injuries result in significant time away from the job and long-term concerns regarding their ability to perform manual tasks.
What's Driving the Trend?
The frequency of these injuries has decreased by 44.4 percent over the last ten years, suggesting that improved safety protocols are beginning to mitigate some of the most dangerous workplace hazards. Despite this overall decline, the persistence of incidents involving caught-in or struck-by events indicates that specific operational risks remain unaddressed.
Manufacturing and construction industries account for over 56 percent of all reported severe cases, largely due to the prevalence of heavy machinery and material handling tasks. The consistent involvement of conveyors and industrial vehicles suggests that these environments require more rigorous adherence to safety standards to prevent skin-tearing accidents.
How Abrasions Happen at Work
Top causes based on OSHA incident reports
Most severe abrasions are not simple accidents but the result of predictable failures in equipment safety and workplace design. Being struck by propelled objects or becoming entangled in running machinery accounts for over 40 percent of all reported incidents, often occurring during routine operations or maintenance tasks.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 27 |
| 2 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 21 |
| 3 | Struck against stationary object | 10 |
| 4 | Fall on same level | 10 |
| 5 | Other fall to lower level | 8 |
| 6 | Struck by falling object | 7 |
| 7 | Rubbed or abraded by non-running object | 4 |
| 8 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 3 |
Why This Matters for Your Case
Employers are legally obligated to protect workers from moving parts under 29 CFR 1910.212, which mandates machine guarding to prevent contact with hazardous areas. When these guards are missing, bypassed, or improperly maintained, the employer may be in violation of federal safety standards, providing a basis for legal action following an injury.
Industries with Most Abrasions
Where these injuries occur most frequently
Manufacturing and construction sectors represent the highest risk, with manufacturing alone responsible for 36.6 percent of all severe abrasion cases. These environments rely heavily on high-speed conveyors and heavy transport vehicles, which frequently cause friction-based injuries when safety barriers fail or when workers are positioned too close to active machinery.
High-Risk Industries and Your Rights
In these high-risk industries, employers must strictly follow 29 CFR 1910.147, the lockout and tagout standard, to ensure that machinery is fully de-energized before any maintenance or cleaning begins. Failure to implement these energy control procedures is a frequent cause of preventable entanglement injuries that result in severe skin and tissue trauma.
Real Incident Reports
From actual OSHA investigation files
The documented incident reports reveal a recurring pattern where workers are injured during routine tasks, such as taking measurements near spindles or performing bearing repairs on conveyor systems. These cases frequently involve a failure to isolate energy sources or the absence of adequate physical barriers between the worker and the moving equipment.
"An employee was operating a vertical mill to machine a fixture for an engineering project. The employee was using calipers to take a measurement of the fixture in proximity to the spindle when the sleeve of his shop coat got caught in the spindle, pulling his left hand into the tool. The employee sustained a severe abrasion to the back of his hand."
"An employee in the long bar processing area had completed work for the day. The last material that had passed through a machine had been discharged on the exit side. The employee approached the machine and his left hand was caught between the rotating grinding stone and the support rollers. The employee sustained severe abrasive injuries to the back of his left hand."
"A facilities maintenance technician was helping to perform a bearing repair on a conveyor shaft. His right hand became caught on the conveyor belt and he sustained abrasions and swelling. He was hospitalized."
"An employee was pressure washing grease on a low-sloped roof when their fall protection lanyard caught on the roof, causing them to trip and drop the pressure washer wand. The spray hit the employee's right leg and thigh, resulting in an abrasion and injected water below the surface of the skin."
"At about 12:05 p.m. on April 8, 2025, while performing material handling tasks on jack-up scaffolding, an employee of Lopez Masonry was walking along the scaffold's inner-face walk board when the walk board became dislodged from its holding flange. The employee fell to the ground and suffered abrasions to the right arm and the left side of the chest. The employee was hospitalized."
"A mechanic was working on the brakes of a truck when the driver operated the vehicle. The vehicle partially ran over the side of the mechanic's abdomen. The employee sustained soft tissue abrasions."
"An employee was performing quality control checks on a conveyor. They grabbed a tray on the conveyor and the conveyor contacted their hand, resulting in an abrasion."
"An employee was pressure washing a crane on a wash rack. He stumbled and his boot and foot were struck by the high pressure water. The employee was hospitalized with an abrasion to the top of his right foot."
"An employee was using a mail truck to deliver mail when they struck a patch of loose gravel and the vehicle overturned onto its side. The employee suffered leg and ankle pain as well as road burn. The employee was hospitalized."
"An employee was unhooking an air hose from an oil pump in a shop. As he disconnected the quick coupler, the compressed air caused an abrasion to his right ring finger."
Common Questions About Abrasions 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.