How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 840 severe cases involving boring, planing, and milling machinery over the last decade. Amputations, avulsions, and enucleations account for 76% of these incidents, representing the most frequent and life-altering injury types reported.
The severity of these injuries is driven by the high concentration of harm to the fingers, which account for 81% of all cases. These incidents often result in permanent disability, requiring extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation for you.
How these injuries happen
The vast majority of these injuries occur when you become caught or entangled in running powered equipment during normal operation, accounting for 79% of incidents. This happens when loose clothing, gloves, or your body parts make contact with rotating spindles, drill bits, or lathe heads.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 657 |
| 2 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 77 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 29 |
| 4 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 27 |
| 5 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 14 |
| 6 | Struck by running powered equipment— n.e.c. | 10 |
| 7 | Struck against stationary object | 4 |
| 8 | Struck by running powered equipment— irregular movement, kick back | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 81% of all reported incidents, as the high-speed production environment relies heavily on continuous machine operation. The constant interaction between you and rotating tools in these facilities creates a high-risk environment where even a momentary lapse or a failure in machine guarding can lead to catastrophic injury.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you reaching near rotating spindles to measure parts, clear metal shavings, or adjust settings while the machine is still in motion. Gloves and loose clothing are frequently pulled into the equipment, leading to rapid and severe trauma. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a vertical mill to machine a fixture for an engineering project. The employee was using calipers to take a measurement of the fixture in proximity to the spindle when the sleeve of his shop coat got caught in the spindle, pulling his left hand into the tool. The employee sustained a severe abrasion to the back of his hand." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was working with a drill press when his glove and forearm were caught by the drill bit, resulting in lacerations and fractures to his right forearm. The employee's arm was amputated below the elbow." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a lathe in a machine shop. The rotating head of the lathe caught the employee's left glove, resulting in a compound open fracture to the left wrist and a laceration to left ear." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was sanding a metal tube with sandpaper on a lathe when the sandpaper got caught and wrapped around the tube. The employee's gloved left hand became caught in the lath and he suffered an amputation to the tip of his left thumb and severe tendon/nerve damage to his left arm. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Utilities | "An employee was using a pipe threading machine to thread a 2-inch diameter gas pipe during the rebuilding of a gas meter. The pipe was in a vise mounted on the back of the crew truck. A few pieces of metal chips or shavings caused the threading machine to jam. The employee started to back the pipe up, but it jammed in that direction as well. While reaching to pull the handle back up into place to try and start again, the machine rotated about an inch and pinched his middle fingertip against the edge of the truck s back step. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated without loss of bone." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a thread feeder when it caught her right index finger. The employee was hospitalized for injury to her finger." | |
| 2025 | CA | Manufacturing | "An employee was feeding a 4x6 piece of wood through a jointer. The employee's hand slipped and the blades amputated the distal sections of the second and third fingers on their left hand. A machine guard was in place at the time." | |
| 2025 | NY | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a lathe when his glove was caught and his arm was pulled into the machine, resulting in a broken right forearm. The lathe was not guarded at the time." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a planer machine. From a control station in the planer room, he raised the feed roller that was in the down position, to clear a board that was jammed in the machine. The employee went back to the control room and locked out the planer machine. He then reentered the planer room and removed the board that was jammed in the machine. After removing the board, a release of stored energy caused the side heads in the machine to rotate, catching the employee s hand in the process. The employee suffered an amputation of his right index finger and a partial amputation of the middle finger." | |
| 2025 | KS | Retail Trade | "An employee was using a CNC mill to drill and countersink holes in a plastic wood product. Their left hand contacted the point of operation (a 1/4" drill bit with a 3/4" countersink) of the vertical drill resulting in a fractured fourth finger and partial amputations (between the last joint and fingernail) of the middle and little fingers." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, amputations are the most frequent injury type associated with this machinery, accounting for 76% of all reported severe cases. The high torque and speed of these tools mean that contact with a rotating part often results in immediate and irreversible tissue damage. An attorney can help you evaluate the long-term impact of such an injury on your ability to work.
Employers are strictly required to provide adequate machine guarding to prevent contact with dangerous moving parts under 29 CFR 1910.212. If a guard was missing, bypassed, or improperly maintained, your employer may be liable for the resulting injury. An attorney can help you investigate whether your workplace met these federal safety standards.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries you sustain on the job, including those caused by machinery. Because these injuries are often severe, navigating the claims process to ensure you receive full benefits is critical. An attorney can help you manage your claim and ensure your medical needs are properly documented.
If a machine malfunctioned due to poor maintenance or a mechanical failure, you may have grounds for a claim beyond standard Workers' Compensation. Documenting the condition of the machine and any prior reports of issues is a vital first step. An attorney can help you gather evidence to determine if a third-party product liability claim is appropriate.