How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 263 severe cases involving caps, lids, and covers over the last decade. These incidents frequently lead to amputations, which account for 44% of all reported injuries in this category.
The severity of these injuries is underscored by the fact that fingers are the most affected body part in 46% of cases. You face life-altering trauma when heavy covers or caps slip during routine maintenance or operation.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving caps and lids typically occur when these objects are not properly secured or when they slip during handling. You are most often struck by propelled objects or substances, which account for 35% of incidents, or falling objects, which account for 34%. These accidents often happen when a lid is partially removed or when a pressurized cap dislodges, leading to crush injuries or severe lacerations.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 88 |
| 2 | Struck by falling object | 87 |
| 3 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 34 |
| 4 | Other fall to lower level | 8 |
| 5 | Injured by object handled by person | 6 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 6 |
| 7 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 5 |
| 8 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 36% of reported incidents, largely due to the frequent handling of heavy access covers and water main components. Manufacturing follows at 27%, where you are often exposed to risks while operating machinery or capping production lines.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include lids slipping during manual handling, pressurized caps dislodging unexpectedly, and covers falling while you perform routine tasks. These reports highlight a recurring failure to secure access points or provide adequate support for heavy components. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you understand your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Information | "An employee was closing a hand hole lid when the lid fell on the employee's fingers. The employee's left middle fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Professional Services | "On 7/16/2025, an employee was working inside a communication wire pull-box with the lid partially removed. As the employee was standing up, they placed their hand on the pull-box lid. One end of the lid slipped into the pull-box. This caused the other end of the lid to strike the employee's mouth. The employee sustained a fractured jaw and three broken teeth." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was operating the water truck. While lifting up a cage lid with their left hand, the employee used their right hand to turn off the water truck pump. The cage lid slipped out of their hand and crushed their right hand, resulting in amputation of approximately a half inch of their right ring finger. " | |
| 2025 | NE | Construction | "An employee was removing an 8-inch water main cap when it dislodged under pressure and struck their legs. The employee was hospitalized with a laceration to the left leg and a contusion to the right leg." | |
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was capping bottles of skin therapy oil when the plastic cover for the light fixture fell and struck them on the head. The employee was hospitalized with a head contusion." | |
| 2025 | AR | Manufacturing | "An employee was replacing the exhaust fan above the scalding area when their finger became pinched in the exhaust fan shroud. The employee sustained amputation of the distal tuft of their right middle finger with bone loss." | |
| 2025 | NY | Construction | "An employee was installing a metal plug into a machine. He was using a wrench to turn the metal plug a quarter turn more when the round plug weighing approximately 2 pounds failed and blew off from pressure, striking the employee in the face. The employee sustained facial lacerations and a fractured jaw." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was lifting a manhole cover. The cord being used broke and the cover fell on the employee's foot. The employee sustained fractured toes." | |
| 2025 | OH | Utilities | "On March 31, 2025, an employee fell 6 feet through a sump pump opening in the floor and they were hospitalized with fractures to their ribs and collarbone, as well as a lung puncture. The cover plate on the opening was not properly secured." | |
| 2025 | OH | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was lifting an access lid for a fuel access port prior to fueling when the lid closed on his right hand, catching the tip of his thumb. The employee suffered a laceration that required hospitalization and a surgical fingertip amputation including loss of bone." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.