How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 66 severe cases involving high-pressure water equipment over the last decade. The most common injury type is cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 50% of all reported incidents.
These injuries are often severe because water at high velocity can penetrate your skin and deep tissue instantly. You may suffer damage to your fingers, often requiring surgery to address complex lacerations or internal structural harm.
How these injuries happen
The vast majority of these incidents occur when you are struck by a propelled object or substance, specifically the high-pressure water stream itself, which accounts for 92% of incidents. This happens when equipment malfunctions, a wand kicks back, or a hose fails under pressure. In other cases, you may lose control of the lance, causing the pressurized stream to cut through your personal protective equipment and strike your body directly.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 61 |
| 2 | Exposure to change in air pressure | 2 |
| 3 | Rubbed or abraded by non-running object | 1 |
| 4 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 1 |
| 5 | Oxygen displacement | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 24% of these severe injuries, followed by mining at 21%. These industries rely heavily on high-pressure water for cleaning, surface preparation, and material removal. The intensity of these operations means that even a momentary lapse in equipment control or a failure in safety guarding can lead to catastrophic injury.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include equipment kickback, accidental valve activation, and failure of protective gear to withstand the force of the water. You are often injured while cleaning machinery or performing tunnel maintenance when the pressurized stream escapes its intended path. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CO | Administrative Services | "An employee was pressure washing a bulldozer to clean off trash and dirt when his hand was lacerated by the high-pressure stream of water. The employee required surgery." | |
| 2025 | LA | Construction | "During a hydro-tunneling operation, the pressurized water spray lacerated an employee's left foot." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee was running a high-pressure water cabinet waterblast unit. When the employee released the wand, it propelled itself out of the blast cabinet. The wand whipped around and the high-pressure water stream lacerated the employee's upper right arm." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "On June 26, 2025, a pipe testing specialist was preparing to service a sewer cleanout. They opened a valve and were struck in the face by pressurized water. The employee was hospitalized with injuries to their left eye socket and eyebrow." | |
| 2025 | NE | Administrative Services | "An employee was cleaning in a confined space using the lance (hose) of a 20,000-psi water blasting pump when they lost control of the water lance. The employee went to shut off the unit by raising their foot off of the control pedal but the stream of pressurized water cut through their personal protective equipment (PPE), resulting in a laceration near their ribs on the left side of their torso. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was water jetting a tube bundle when the water stream contacted his right leg, lacerating it above the knee. The employee was hospitalized and the laceration required surgery." | |
| 2025 | WI | Construction | "An employee was unclogging a pressure washer when their left hand was struck by the high-pressure water. The employee sustained lacerations and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was pressure washing a suspended part when the part started spinning. The employee manually stopped the part from spinning when his hand was caught in the pressurized water blast. The employee was hospitalized with a laceration." | |
| 2024 | IL | Real Estate | "Two employees responded to an emergency call. They discovered a hot water heater leaking in the unit downstairs. The injured employee was going to change a valve. While removing a pipe that was tied to the drain, hot water shot out of the pressure-release valve. The injured employee sustained burns to his right arm and hand, left-side ribs, and torso." | |
| 2024 | AL | Administrative Services | "An employee was operating a high-pressure (2500 psi) water jet machine and sustained a laceration to his abdomen." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, these injuries are frequently severe because the force of the water can cause deep tissue damage that is not immediately visible on the surface. You may require surgery to clean out debris and repair lacerations that penetrate to the bone or internal organs. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your medical needs.
Your employer must provide adequate training, ensure equipment is properly maintained, and supply personal protective equipment rated for the specific pressure of the unit. Failure to provide functional safety guards or to train you on proper lance control may constitute negligence. An attorney can help determine if your employer met these safety obligations.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover your medical bills and lost wages for injuries sustained on the job, regardless of who was at fault. If your injury occurred while operating high-pressure equipment, you are likely entitled to benefits. An attorney can help you ensure your claim is filed correctly and that you receive the full benefits you are owed.
If your protective gear failed to stop a high-pressure stream, you should preserve the damaged equipment as evidence and report the failure to your supervisor immediately. This failure may indicate that the equipment was inappropriate for the task or poorly maintained. An attorney can help you preserve this evidence and build a case regarding the equipment failure.