How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 156 severe cases of ischemic heart disease and heart attacks over the past decade. The majority of these incidents involve internal cardiovascular structures of the chest, which often require immediate hospitalization and complex medical intervention.
These injuries are uniquely consequential because they often involve permanent damage to heart muscle tissue. Beyond the immediate medical crisis, you may face long-term functional limitations that restrict your ability to return to physically demanding roles or maintain your previous earning capacity.
Heart attack at work? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Free Benefits ReviewWhat causes Heart Attacks at Work
Overexertion while moving or manipulating external objects accounts for 27% of these incidents. You may experience these events while performing routine physical labor, such as lifting heavy materials or moving equipment by hand, which can place extreme strain on your cardiovascular system.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple types of overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s) | 26 |
| 2 | Overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s)— unspecified | 22 |
| 3 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 10 |
| 4 | Violent acts by other person— unspecified | 7 |
| 5 | Hitting, kicking, beating by other person | 6 |
| 6 | Exposure to environmental heat | 5 |
| 7 | Overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s)— n.e.c. | 3 |
| 8 | Twisting, reaching, bending | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Retail trade accounts for 18% of these cases, reflecting the physical demands placed on you. If you work in construction or health care, you also face elevated risks due to the combination of heavy lifting, environmental stressors, and the intense physical exertion required to manage patients or job sites.
Real cases like yours
Recurring patterns show that cardiac events often follow intense physical exertion or high-stress encounters, such as responding to aggressive patients or performing strenuous yard work. If your cardiac event occurred during similar high-stress or physically demanding tasks, an attorney can help you evaluate your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | OH | Real Estate | "An employee sustained a heart attack after shoveling snow off a sidewalk. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | GA | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was delivering food to a customer's home. She walked up to the front door and a dog came running out from the house. The dog bit the employee's left knee. The employee was hospitalized with a stress-induced heart attack." | |
| 2024 | ME | Health Care | "An employee had been doing yard work and was mowing a lawn with a push mower. The employee had a heart attack." | |
| 2024 | WY | Agriculture | "An employee had been assisting fire crews with an active wildfire. The employee suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for surgery." | |
| 2024 | IL | Health Care | "An employee was attempting to escape from an aggressive patient's path and suffered a cardiac event as the patient was being restrained by other staff. The employee was hospitalized. " | |
| 2024 | PA | Professional Services | "An employee was detecting the lower explosive limit (LEL) and initiated a shutdown of the loading rack, stopping the flow to the rail car. The employee's personal four-gas monitor began to alarm for LEL and he evacuated north toward the end of the loading rack. The employee had difficulty catching his breath and had a rapid heart rate after he evacuated the area. The employee was hospitalized for atrial fibrillation." | |
| 2024 | AR | Manufacturing | "On January 18, 2024, at 11:15 AM, an employee was delivering feed to a chicken farm when their truck became stuck in snow and ice. The employee manually dug out the snow from around the tires, applied tire chains, and was able to drive to the main road. At the main road the employee removed the chains and drove to the mill. Upon arrival at the mill and walking to the office, the employee experienced chest pain and was hospitalized for a heart attack." | |
| 2023 | MN | Public Administration | "On October 24, 2023, an employee suffered a heart attack while completing physical fitness testing on a designated obstacle course." | |
| 2023 | SD | Manufacturing | "An injured employee was found outside next to the building approximately 15 feet from the cab of his truck. The employee sustained neck injuries from a possible fall due to snow and ice and went into cardiac arrest." | |
| 2023 | WV | Retail Trade | "An employee sustained a heart attack while moving bags of soil weighing 25 to 50 pounds." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.