How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 974 severe crane-related incidents over the last decade. Amputations, avulsions, and enucleations account for 49% of these cases, representing the most common nature of injury when you interact with this heavy machinery.
These injuries are frequently catastrophic, with finger injuries making up 52% of all reported cases. The high rate of permanent tissue loss and complex fractures often leads to long-term disability and significant medical expenses for you.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving cranes typically occur when you are compressed between running equipment and other objects, which accounts for 30% of all reported incidents. You are also frequently caught in running powered equipment or struck by suspended or swinging objects, highlighting the extreme risks inherent in rigging and lifting tasks.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 277 |
| 2 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 153 |
| 3 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 136 |
| 4 | Other fall to lower level | 117 |
| 5 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 75 |
| 6 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 47 |
| 7 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 17 |
| 8 | Struck by falling object | 15 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 46% of all crane-related injuries, followed by construction at 28%. These industries rely heavily on overhead lifting for material handling, where constant exposure to heavy loads and complex rigging systems creates a high-pressure environment for mechanical failure or human error.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you getting limbs crushed between crane hooks and rigging, falls occurring during crane maintenance, and electrical shocks from contact with power lines. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence played a role.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | SD | Manufacturing | "An employee was assisting with rigging a magnet to an overhead crane in order to lift a sheet of steel. The employee's right thumb was between the crane's hook and the chain passing through the hook, and when the crane was raised, the distal end of their thumb was crushed. Part of the employee's right thumb was medically amputated." | |
| 2025 | MA | Real Estate | "An employee was assisting with disassembling a crane and loading rigging on the decking. The employee stepped on a 4-by-4 and lost his balance, causing him to fall off the decking and strike his head on the outriggers of the crane. He was hospitalized with a head injury." | |
| 2025 | LA | Construction | "An employee was performing maintenance work on two gantry cranes located on an elevated trestle rail system. He was performing his work from the basket of a scissor lift that was positioned between the cranes. One of the cranes moved southward, pinning the basket and the employee against the other crane. The employee suffered three broken ribs on his left side and a lacerated kidney, resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | SD | Construction | "The injured employee was installing all-thread rod while sitting on top of a bridge-style overhead hoist crane beam. He was tightening the all-thread rod to the crane equipment when he reached back with his left arm to adjust his posture. His left hand contacted a cable that powers the crane. The employee sustained an electric shock. The cable was not locked out/tagged out at the time." | |
| 2025 | OH | Construction | "At about 1:30 p.m. on July 9, 2025, an employee was descending a crane when his foot became caught and he fell to the ground about 4 or 5 feet below. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured right leg." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "On July 9, 2025, a crane operator was replacing a fuse behind the upper cab of a crane. They had been kneeling and holding a panel surrounding the engine compartment. When they began to stand up, the panel unexpectedly came loose. The employee lost their balance and fell to the asphalt below, suffering a broken hip." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was driving a carry deck/small crane when its boom made contact with an overhead support beam. The employee was jostled in the cab and suffered a concussion." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was attempting to transfer an iron pipe from the threader machine using a crane. When the employee grabbed ahold of straps used to move the iron pipe and pushed down on the strap, their left hand was caught between the strap and the iron pipe. The employee sustained an injury to the fingers of the hand that required surgery and hospitalization. " | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was guiding a crane onto crane mats when one of the leading transitional mats separated and struck the employee in the lower right leg. The employee sustained a fracture to the lower leg and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "On June 27, 2025, around 2:00 a.m., a Charter Steel mechanical maintenance technician was changing the northeast wheel on the east outside billet yard crane. While the crane was locked out and lifted with a portable hydraulic device, the tech rotated the drive wheel by hand. The lifting device failed, causing the crane to fall and crush the employee s left-hand fingers against the crane wheel. This resulted in partial amputation of the middle and ring fingertips (through the nail with no bone loss) and a laceration with tendon involvement to the index finger." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.