How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 96 severe incidents involving drilling and extraction machinery between 2024 and 2025. These accidents frequently result in life-altering injuries, with amputations being the most common nature of harm you may face.
The physical toll of these incidents is severe, as 46% of all injuries involve your fingers. You may face long-term disability and significant recovery challenges after being caught or struck by high-powered extraction equipment.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving drilling and extraction machinery most often occur when you are caught or entangled in running powered equipment during normal operations, accounting for 20% of incidents. These machines operate under immense pressure, and even minor malfunctions or lapses in safety protocols can lead to crushing injuries or severe lacerations when your hands or limbs are positioned near moving parts.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 18 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 12 |
| 3 | Struck by falling object | 8 |
| 4 | Vehicle or machinery fire | 5 |
| 5 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 5 |
| 6 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 5 |
| 7 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 5 |
| 8 | Other fall to lower level | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Mining operations account for 71% of all severe incidents involving this machinery. The high-intensity nature of extraction work, combined with the constant use of heavy mechanical tongs and pipe-handling systems, creates a high-risk environment where equipment failure or human error can lead to immediate, catastrophic injury.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include equipment shifting into gear unexpectedly, heavy components falling during assembly, or your hands being crushed while manually guiding pipe sections. 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 or equipment failure played a role.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was working to assemble a rotator head onto a landing joint. The rotator head fell onto the employee's leg and fractured it." | |
| 2025 | PA | Mining | "An employee was changing out the heads on mechanically-operated tongs when the tongs shifted into a lower gear, causing the employee's left hand to be crushed. The employee sustained amputations to their left index, middle, and ring fingers." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "At approximately 10:40 AM, on July 30, 2025, during operations on a rig at a well, the injured employee was in the derrick, working to pull back a joint of pipe. He encountered a shorter-than-standard pipe, which prevented him from securing his arm around it, so he grabbed the pipe by the collar with his left hand. The blocks were being lowered at the time. The bottom of the blocks contacted the top of the pipe while the employee's fingers were inside the collar. His middle and ring fingers were amputated and the index finger was partially amputated. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Professional Services | "An employee was troubleshooting and rodding out a piece of process piping equipment when their left index finger was caught between the tool handle and threaded flange. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | IL | Mining | "Three employees were servicing and cleaning an oil well when a fire occurred. All three employees were burned. One employee was treated and released. Two employees were hospitalized and one hospitalized employee required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was descending the stairs of an oil/gas rig. As he approached the fifth step from the bottom, he slipped. His left ankle was caught in the steps, and he suffered fractures to the left fibula, tibia, and talus. He was hospitalized, requiring surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "A crew was performing routine rod work. While making up a rod triple, the rod triple slipped out and made contact with an employee's left arm. The employee sustained a fractured elbow and forearm." | |
| 2025 | NY | Professional Services | "An employee was assisting the operator of a soil sampling rig to collect soil samples. He went to remove soil sampling tooling and the energized equipment cycled. His right index fingertip was amputated including the fingernail." | |
| 2025 | FL | Professional Services | "Employees were drilling a hole when an employee was struck by the drill. Their right leg was amputated at the knee." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was working to straighten up a lifting sub for a reamer while it was inside the automated floor wrench. The spinner doors closed, catching the employee's right forearm. The employee sustained a fractured right radius and a displaced fracture of the right ulna. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Seek immediate medical attention and ensure your employer files an official report with OSHA. Because these injuries are complex and often involve permanent loss of function, an attorney can help you document the incident and ensure your Workers' Compensation claim accounts for your long-term medical needs.
Employers are strictly required to maintain equipment in safe working order and provide adequate machine guarding. If a malfunction occurred due to poor maintenance or lack of safety guards, you may have grounds for a claim beyond standard Workers' Compensation. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer met their safety obligations.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover your medical expenses and lost wages for work-related injuries, including those sustained on drilling rigs. However, these claims can be complicated by the severity of the injury and potential third-party liability. Consulting with an attorney helps ensure you receive the full benefits you are entitled to under the law.
OSHA mandates strict machine guarding requirements under 29 CFR 1910.212 to protect you from moving parts. If your employer failed to implement these protections, it may serve as critical evidence in your case. An attorney can help you review the specific safety failures that led to your injury.