How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 262 severe cases involving boring handtools over the last decade. These incidents most frequently result in amputations, which account for 69 percent of all reported injuries in this category.
The high frequency of finger injuries, representing 80 percent of all cases, highlights the extreme risk these tools pose to your dexterity. You may suffer life-altering trauma when a tool binds or kicks back during routine operation.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries typically occur when a tool binds on material or kicks back unexpectedly. Being struck by an object handled by a person accounts for 69 percent of these incidents, often happening when a drill bit or router bit catches on rebar, wood, or metal, forcing the tool into your hand or body.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Injured by object handled by person | 177 |
| 2 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 23 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— n.e.c. | 21 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 9 |
| 5 | Struck by running powered equipment— irregular movement, kick back | 7 |
| 6 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 6 |
| 7 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 4 |
| 8 | Entangled in non-running object | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 45 percent of reported incidents, followed by manufacturing. These environments rely heavily on high-torque drilling and routing, where even a momentary lapse in equipment stability or improper guarding can lead to severe contact injuries.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include tools binding on obstructions, bits slipping from ladders, or equipment twisting during operation. These reports show that you face risks when tools lack proper safety features or when the material being bored behaves unpredictably. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your case.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a core drill to bore through concrete at an active construction site. The equipment struck embedded rebar in the concrete, causing the handle to kick back and strike the employee's ribs. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was cutting a piece of plastic molding with a handheld router when the router kicked out and contacted the employee's right thumb. The employee was hospitalized with hand injuries that required repair." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "On July 16, 2025, at around 2:20 PM, an employee was drilling a hole in a metal bracket. One end of the bracket was secured in a vise. When drilling, the bracket twisted and wrapped around the employee's left index finger. The employee's fingertip was amputated near the top joint." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "At about 3:40 p.m. on July 9, 2025, an electrician was instructing an apprentice when a cordless hammer drill was knocked from an 8-foot ladder. The drill bit (a 3/16", 6-inch-long masonry bit) punctured the employee's throat. The incident took place during a training activity." | |
| 2025 | MA | Real Estate | "Employees were cleaning out a vacuum pipe system using a motorized drain snake. The snake bound on an obstruction in the pipe, twisted upon itself, and wrapped around an employee's gloved right little finger. The employee suffered a partial amputation to the finger just below the nailbed, above the first joint." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "On 6/17/2025, an employee was working as a sub-contractor at a site. He was using a power drill to create holes in a stainless-steel hanger strap for an exhaust duct. He was holding down the strap with his left hand when the drill spun out. The strap wrapped around the drill and caught his right thumb. The employee's thumb was partially amputated at the first knuckle and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | LA | Professional Services | "An employee was operating a perimeter router. He reached to move the router out of the way so he could advance a panel when he suffered the amputation of the distal phalanx on his left index finger." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a magnetic drill to drill a hole on an elevator door. His left glove became entangled with the drill bit, which partially amputated his left thumb below the last knuckle and removed several inches of a tendon. The employee's left middle finger was also severely lacerated. He was hospitalized and received stitches." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was cleaning the barrel of an extruder using a brush mounted on a handheld electric drill. The employee's gloves became entangled in the rotating shaft of the drill, and the last joint of the employee's left ring finger was amputated." | |
| 2025 | WI | Information | "An employee was winding up string to blow fiber through conduit using a drill when the poly line (fiber cable) came back up and wrapped around his left index finger. The employee sustained a partial amputation of the finger." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.