How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 27 severe cases involving signs, blackboards, and mirrors. The most common injury type is cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 56% of all reported incidents. These injuries occur suddenly, leaving you with little time to react to falling or shifting objects.
The physical impact of these incidents is significant, frequently affecting your forearms, fingers, and wrists. In some cases, the force of a falling board or shattered glass causes intracranial injuries or fractures that require extensive medical intervention and time away from work.
Struck by a sign or board? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries involving signs and boards occur when you are handling an object or when you are struck by a falling object. These two events account for 70% of all reported incidents. Whether a sign comes loose from a wall or a mirror shatters during transport, the sudden nature of these events often points to failures in securing or handling heavy materials.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Injured by object handled by person | 9 |
| 2 | Struck by falling object | 9 |
| 3 | Struck against stationary object | 3 |
| 4 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 2 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 1 |
| 6 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 1 |
| 7 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 44% of reported incidents involving signs and boards. The frequency of these injuries in construction is linked to the constant movement of materials and the temporary nature of signage on job sites. Administrative services and retail trade also report frequent injuries, as you may handle heavy display boards or mirrors in environments that lack proper safety protocols for lifting and mounting.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include heavy objects falling during transport, mirrors shattering while being moved, and wall-mounted boards detaching unexpectedly. These reports highlight the danger of handling heavy or fragile materials without adequate support or protective equipment. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine your options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was rotating a glass mirror on a polishing machine. The mirror broke and fell on his left wrist, causing a laceration to the wrist." | |
| 2024 | TX | Other Services | "An employee was preparing a vehicle outside of the paint booth and when he turned and his right eyelid was caught by the parts hanger. He sustained a laceration to the top of his eyelid." | |
| 2024 | AK | Construction | "An employee was working at a dock. A lock-out board came loose and hit the employee, breaking the employee's lower leg." | |
| 2023 | CO | Administrative Services | "An employee was taking a sign out of a crate when the sign fell on them. The employee sustained a punctured lung, injury to a hip and leg, and a contusion." | |
| 2023 | PA | Construction | "An employee was throwing a mirror into a dumpster when the mirror shattered and lacerated the employee's arm." | |
| 2023 | PA | Construction | "Two Rycon employees were installing glass marker boards in a nearly completed space. Each employee had a suction cup on the face of the board and a hand on the bottom of the board. Upon hanging the third board in sequence on a hang strip mounted to the wall, the board needed to be moved about half an inch to butt tightly to the adjacent one. When the employees moved the marker board, it shattered causing half of the board to fall and cause a severe laceration to an employee's left wrist." | |
| 2023 | PA | Health Care | "An employee was sitting in their chair when a large cork board fell off the wall and struck her head and left arm. The employee sustained a concussion." | |
| 2023 | FL | Health Care | "On May 15, 2023, an employee removed a mirror from the bathroom to discard it. As the employee went to place it on the cart, the mirror broke. The employee sustained a laceration on the right forearm that required surgery." | |
| 2022 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was bending over to pick up a marker from the floor. A whiteboard fell from its base and struck the back of the employee's head, causing a head injury." | |
| 2022 | NY | Construction | "An employee was hammering to remove a mirror from a column enclosure. The top part of the mirror fell, shattered, and lacerated his left upper arm." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.