How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 3,393 severe thermal burn cases over the last decade. These incidents often result in deep tissue damage that requires extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
The consequences of these burns extend far beyond initial treatment, often leading to permanent scarring, loss of range of motion, and chronic pain. You may face significant challenges returning to your previous role, which can permanently impact your future earning capacity.
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Free Benefits ReviewWhat causes Thermal Burns
Most thermal burns occur when you come into direct contact with hot objects or substances, which accounts for 54% of all severe incidents. These injuries frequently happen during routine tasks like transferring hot liquids, cleaning machinery, or working near high-temperature equipment where safety barriers are missing or improperly maintained.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 1,818 |
| 2 | Flash fire | 545 |
| 3 | Ignition of clothing | 165 |
| 4 | Vehicle or machinery fire | 160 |
| 5 | Fire— unspecified | 99 |
| 6 | Fall on same level | 90 |
| 7 | Explosion— n.e.c. | 71 |
| 8 | Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire | 67 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 44% of all severe thermal burn cases, largely due to the constant presence of hot machinery and molten materials. Construction and food service industries also see high rates of injury, often stemming from the use of pressurized steam systems or high-temperature cooking equipment that lacks adequate protective shielding.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve equipment failures during maintenance, splashing incidents during liquid transfers, and inadequate lockout procedures that expose you to extreme heat. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence played a role.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was fueling a gasoline-powered pressure washer with a safety fuel can. During the transfer the fuel ignited, causing a fire. The employee sustained burns to his nose, and his right hand and forearm." | |
| 2025 | FL | Health Care | "An employee went outside to dispose of oil from a cooking pot into a large dumpster. When dumping the hot oil, it splashed back and burned her right hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | SD | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was working to change the cooking oil in a 1-gallon countertop fryer. The fryer was held in place by three C-clamps. When two of the clamps were removed, the fryer fell and the hot oil contacted the employee from the waist down. The employee sustained burns to their lower body." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "On July 29, 2025, at approximately 1:15 PM, an employee was cleaning a vent on an extruder machine. He was breaking a hardened plastic clog by hitting it with a mallet and a screwdriver. When he broke through the first layer of plastic, hot liquefied plastic that was under the hardened surface splashed onto the employee causing burns to his face, neck, arms, and hands." | |
| 2025 | SD | Manufacturing | "An employee was priming a cook pump and sustained burns from contact with hot water (140-200 degrees F)." | |
| 2025 | IL | Mining | "Three employees were servicing and cleaning an oil well when a fire occurred. All three employees were burned. One employee was treated and released. Two employees were hospitalized and one hospitalized employee required surgery." | |
| 2025 | IL | Retail Trade | "An employee was using a torch to burn off liquid petroleum gas from old 100-pound cylinders so they could be recycled. When he went to move a tank, some gas spilled onto the ground, then ignited in a flash that engulfed him. He was burned on the face, hands, and back and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a fork truck to move a tub containing molten iron that had been drained from the cupula. The tub tipped over and the molten metal came in contact with water. This caused the molten iron to splash back and burn the employee's upper torso." | |
| 2025 | LA | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee transferred boiling water from a rethermalizer (kitchen equipment) into a bucket for cleaning the kitchen floor. Some of the hot water spilled onto the employee's left foot, causing severe burns." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "On July 18, 2025, a light-equipment operator was using a pressure washer to remove cementitious material buildup from the internal wall of a tremie pipe. The operator was refueling the pressure washer using a 5-gallon gas can. The equipment's engine and exhaust were still hot and the gasoline ignited. Flames spread to the pressure washer skid, a nearby fire extinguisher, and the operator s clothing. The operator sustained second-degree burns to approximately 35% of their body including their hands, lower abdominal area, upper thighs, and knees. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.