How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 25 severe cases of asphyxiation and suffocation over the last decade.
These injuries are uniquely dangerous because they often cause systemic trauma. You may face prolonged recovery periods and permanent impairments that limit your ability to return to your previous role.
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Free Benefits ReviewWhat causes Asphyxiation and Suffocation
Oxygen displacement is the leading cause of these injuries, accounting for 26% of all reported cases. This often occurs in confined spaces where gases or materials push out breathable air, leaving you without warning. Other common scenarios involve entanglement in machinery that leads to strangulation or engulfment in loose materials like grain or soil that obstructs your airway.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxygen displacement | 6 |
| 2 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 4 |
| 3 | Collapse, engulfment— loose materials or liquids | 3 |
| 4 | Hitting, kicking, beating by other person | 2 |
| 5 | Choking on object or substance | 2 |
| 6 | Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle | 1 |
| 7 | Fall on same level | 1 |
| 8 | Other fall to lower level | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 28% of all severe asphyxiation cases, primarily due to the complex machinery and confined spaces inherent in production environments. You may be exposed to risks involving conveyors and heavy equipment that can trap or obstruct you, often in areas where ventilation is limited or safety guards are absent.
Real cases like yours
Incident reports reveal a pattern of preventable failures, ranging from inadequate lockout procedures during conveyor maintenance to the activation of fire suppression systems in occupied compartments. These events frequently involve a sudden loss of oxygen or physical obstruction that leaves you unable to escape. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you understand your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | MO | Construction | "An employee was sanding a piece of concrete in a manhole with a gas-powered saw when they lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen and were hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | OH | Agriculture | "On December 31, 2023, an employee was performing sanitation on a packer conveyor and was walking in the passageway when their shirt collar was pulled into the conveyor above the passageway. The employee was strangled and became unconscious. The conveyor was not guarded at the time." | |
| 2023 | CO | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was skiing down a ski run. The employee caught a snow-covered tree branch, fell upside down into deep snow, and lost consciousness due to suffocation. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was acting as a fire watch within the engine compartment of a vessel observing the cutting of the hull on the outside. The fire suppression system activated and the employee was trapped inside of the compartment. The employee suffered oxygen deprivation and was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | MA | Health Care | "An employee was preparing a snack for a patient when the patient strangled the employee. She lost consciousness and was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing maintenance inside a furnace when they lost consciousness due to the oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The employee was hoisted from the space and also sustained a leg fracture." | |
| 2023 | LA | Retail Trade | "An employee was drinking water when the cap came off and became lodged in their throat, requiring hospitalization." | |
| 2021 | WI | Manufacturing | "On October 15, 2021, an employee was repairing a leaking steam hose and was trapped between a moving parts hoist and a drip pan in the plating department. The employee was hospitalized, having suffered a lack of oxygen." | |
| 2020 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was hauling cotton seed and arrived on-site for a load. When one of the bins would not drop cotton seed, the employee opened the back gate to the trailer and stood on the cotton seed to poke the seed. The cotton seed fell, engulfing the employee. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2020 | MS | Construction | "An employee was operating an aerial lift and was elevated 9.5 feet. While traveling backwards, he was pinned between the cage of the aerial lift and overhead structure bracing. The employee's chest/neck area was pinned, cutting off oxygen and resulting in strangulation." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.