How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 49 severe cases involving digging and material moving handtools over the last decade. These incidents frequently result in ischemic heart disease, which accounts for 33% of all reported injury types.
The physical toll of these injuries is significant, with internal cardiovascular structures of the chest affected in 27% of cases. Beyond heart-related trauma, you may suffer from permanent amputations and fractures while operating these tools.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving these tools are primarily driven by the physical strain of repetitive motion and the unpredictable nature of manual labor. Overexertion while moving or manipulating external objects accounts for 55% of all incidents, often leading to sudden cardiovascular stress or severe back injuries. You are also frequently struck by objects handled by others, demonstrating how quickly a simple task like clearing debris or moving materials can turn into a life-altering accident.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple types of overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s) | 27 |
| 2 | Injured by object handled by person | 10 |
| 3 | Struck by falling object | 3 |
| 4 | Overexertion while wielding, manipulating tools, object(s) | 3 |
| 5 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 2 |
| 6 | Overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s)— unspecified | 1 |
| 7 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 1 |
| 8 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 18% of reported incidents, as the high-intensity nature of site preparation and material handling places constant demand on you. Manufacturing follows at 14%, where the use of handtools in tight spaces or near heavy machinery increases your risk of both overexertion and traumatic strikes.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports reveal that injuries often occur during routine tasks like clearing snow, moving mulch, or loading equipment onto trucks. Many incidents involve tools slipping or being dropped by coworkers, leading to head trauma or finger amputations. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances of your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | OH | Real Estate | "An employee sustained a heart attack after shoveling snow off a sidewalk. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | WI | Manufacturing | "An employee was working as a spreader on a cheese curd line when an air line (2.5-inch clear plastic tubing, about 6-7 feet long) disconnected and fell from the ceiling. Another employee went to catch the air line and dropped the rake they were using to break apart cheese. The rake fell and struck the injured employee in the right side of the head, resulting in a concussion and amnesia." | |
| 2024 | TX | Manufacturing | "Two employees were shoveling out a machine. The blade of a shovel struck the injured employee's left middle finger, causing a partial amputation." | |
| 2024 | NY | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee sustained an injury to their lower back while shoveling mulch into the back of a grounds crew pick-up truck." | |
| 2024 | WI | Agriculture | "An employee was assisting with loading a cranberry rake onto a flatbed truck. The rake fell off the forks of an end loader and landed on the employee, breaking vertebrae in his lower back." | |
| 2024 | OH | Administrative Services | "On January 7, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., an employee was shoveling material into the lower section of a vertical conveyor when they suffered a lumbar nerve injury that required hospitalization." | |
| 2023 | TX | Construction | "An employee was using a shovel to dig a hole for a pipe when he suffered a broken vertebra. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was preparing to disassemble equipment for cleaning by using a metal pick when the pick slipped and punctured the employee's left index finger, resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2023 | FL | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was manually digging a trench for a propane tank when he twisted his back, resulting in a muscular injury. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2022 | CO | Information | "An employee was digging a hole by hand to repair a cable outage when he started feeling a burning sensation in his chest and got a headache. He had been digging for approximately two hours in 81 F heat and 70% humidity. The employee went home to rest and was later hospitalized for a heart attack." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.