How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 355 severe cases involving metal chips and particles over the last decade. These incidents most frequently result in cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 59% of all reported injuries.
The severity of these injuries is often high, as metal shards frequently strike your eyes or penetrate deep into your skin. You may require surgery to remove embedded debris and repair damaged tissue or tendons.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when a propelled object strikes you, accounting for 82% of all reported incidents. This typically happens during high-force tasks like hammering pins, abrasive blasting, or operating machinery that ejects metal fragments at high velocity.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 271 |
| 2 | Struck against stationary object | 14 |
| 3 | Inhalation of harmful substance | 13 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 12 |
| 5 | Injured by object handled by person | 6 |
| 6 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 5 |
| 7 | Exposure to harmful substance through exposed tissue | 2 |
| 8 | Rubbed or abraded by non-running object | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 34% of these incidents, as the constant use of high-speed tools and metal-on-metal impact creates a high risk for flying debris. Construction follows at 24%, where you may face similar hazards while using manual tools or heavy equipment to shape metal components.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve metal fragments splintering off tools or workpieces during high-impact tasks like hammering or grinding. These incidents often occur when safety guards are missing or when protective equipment fails to contain high-pressure debris. 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 | Manufacturing | "An employee was hammering a pin into an engine. When he struck the pin with the hammer, the pin shattered and a small piece entered the employee's leg. He was hospitalized and required surgery to remove the shard." | |
| 2025 | VA | Mining | "An employee had been performing abrasive blasting operations in the sonar dome of a submarine. The employee completed replacing the outer blast glass layer on their blast hood and, while kneeling, the dead-man switch on their blast hose was actuated. High pressure (125-130 psi) air and blast media struck and injured their left forearm and hand. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | NY | Accommodation & Food Services | "An employee was putting dishes into a cabinet when a drinking glass fell out. The glass hit the counter and broke, cutting the back side of the employee's wrist. The employee sustained a laceration and tendon damage to their right wrist." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "An employee was hammering a metal collar on a piece of equipment when a small piece of metal broke off and entered their arm and hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "Two employees were hammering railroad spikes onto railroad ties when shrapnel splintered off the metal head of the spike maul. A metal fragment pierced the injured employee's upper left arm." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was removing glass storefront panels. One of the panels broke as he was going to place it on the ground. Broken glass lacerated the left side of his neck. He received stiches, was hospitalized, and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | WI | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was changing a stainless steel die in the pellet mill. The die was stuck and the employee used a hammer to loosen and remove it. A metal shard came off the die and struck the employee's abdomen causing a severe puncture wound." | |
| 2025 | FL | Administrative Services | "Three employees were removing a mirror as part of a demolition/cleanup job. The mirror began to crack and then broke apart. Part of it fell onto the injured employee's left arm, severely lacerating it." | |
| 2025 | NY | Construction | "An employee was snaking out a drain when a piece of glass came up from the drain and flew into the employee's mouth. The employee was hospitalized due to the ingestion of a piece of glass." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was sandblasting in the bay and was maneuvering around the blowout preventer (BOP) when the sandblasting hose became caught on a corner of the BOP. The nozzle of the hose jerked downward, discharging high-pressure abrasive material at the employee's upper left thigh. The employee was hospitalized with a high-pressure injection injury." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.