How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 20 severe cases involving batteries and related charging equipment. The most frequent injury type is the effect of electric current, which accounts for 35% of all documented incidents.
These injuries are often severe because they involve high-voltage systems and heavy equipment. Amputations and crushing injuries are common when you handle heavy battery units or perform maintenance on electrical terminals.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving batteries typically occur when you are struck by falling objects during the removal or installation of heavy battery units. Exposure to electric arcs is another primary cause, often occurring during routine maintenance or when tools accidentally bridge battery terminals. These incidents frequently stem from equipment malfunctions, such as failing battery extractors or exposed wiring that leads to direct electrical contact.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by falling object | 5 |
| 2 | Exposure to electric arc | 4 |
| 3 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 3 |
| 4 | Fire— small-scale, limited | 2 |
| 5 | Direct exposure to electricity | 2 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 2 |
| 7 | Explosion— n.e.c. | 1 |
| 8 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all industries with 20% of reported battery-related injuries, reflecting the frequency of heavy equipment use and on-site power system maintenance. Manufacturing, transportation, and retail sectors also see significant incident rates, as you handle large-scale battery systems for forklifts and industrial machinery daily.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you suffering crushing injuries while using battery extractors or sustaining severe burns during routine terminal maintenance. Many reports highlight failures in equipment stability or accidental contact with live electrical components. 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 contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | IL | Real Estate | "An employee had just serviced a battery and was reinstalling it in a forklift using a battery extractor. The employee was trying to pull the battery out of the battery compartment when the extractor moved, causing the battery to shift on the rollers. The employee's right hand was crushed between the top of the battery and the battery compartment." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "At 11:50 a.m. on June 17, 2025, an employee was working on a 60-amp battery. As he was removing nuts with a wrench, there was an arc flash. The wrench welded itself to the terminals, and the employee suffered second-degree burns along the left palm, thumb, and index finger, as well as a burn on his right middle finger." | |
| 2025 | FL | Retail Trade | "An employee was changing the battery on a forklift and caught his right forearm between two batteries. He was hospitalized for treatment of a contusion. " | |
| 2025 | TX | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was servicing a circuit board on a portable X-ray unit when a battery cable touched part of the board, causing electrical burns to two fingers on his right hand. " | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "Two employees were working on a battery storage unit when an arc flash occurred. Employee 1 was hospitalized with third-degree burns to his face and left ear, his left arm and hand, and the fingertips on his right hand. Employee 2 sustained first-degree burns to their face, and first- and second-degree burns to their hands. Employee 2 was not hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Manufacturing | "Four employees were manually lifting a 1600-pound battery onto a pallet jack for transport. The battery slipped and fell onto one of the employee's right leg. The employee was hospitalized for fractures to the leg. " | |
| 2025 | PA | Real Estate | "An employee was extinguishing a small ion battery fire when they began to have breathing issues, resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | NY | Manufacturing | "An employee was using an overhead crane to change a large sideloader battery. While he was installing the charged battery, the load began to swing. As he was stopping it from swinging into the sideloader, his right middle finger was pinched between the sideloader wall and the battery. He suffered an open fracture to the last joint of the finger, resulting in an amputation." | |
| 2024 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was part of a crew that was using a mobile crane to move large, 80,000-pound lithium-ion batteries. While a battery was being lowered to the ground, a gust of wind caused the battery to sway, and the employee's arm was pinched between the battery and the wall of the adjacent building. The employee's arm was amputated at the elbow." | |
| 2024 | WI | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was manually moving a forklift battery in its compartment when her right index finger was pinched between the battery and the top of the compartment. The employee sustained a fingertip amputation." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.