How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,882 severe incidents involving extruding, injecting, and molding machinery over the last decade. These accidents frequently result in amputations, which account for 74% of all reported injury types. The frequency of these life-altering injuries underscores the need for strict adherence to safety protocols.
Injuries from these machines disproportionately impact your hands and fingers, which are involved in 78% of all cases. When a machine cycles unexpectedly or you are caught in a pinch point, the resulting trauma often leads to permanent loss of function. These injuries require immediate medical intervention and often involve long-term recovery.
How these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when you are caught or entangled in running powered equipment during normal operation, which accounts for 82% of all incidents. These accidents often happen when a machine cycles unexpectedly while you are adjusting, troubleshooting, or clearing a jam. Whether it is a die-cast machine closing on your hand or a pinch point on a fusion machine, these events are typically the result of inadequate guarding or failed lockout-tagout procedures.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 1,525 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 125 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 50 |
| 4 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 48 |
| 5 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 30 |
| 6 | Other fall to lower level | 15 |
| 7 | Struck by falling object | 14 |
| 8 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 10 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 89% of all reported incidents involving molding and extruding machinery. The high volume of production, combined with the constant operation of heavy industrial presses and injectors, creates a high-risk environment. Your employer is required to maintain rigorous machine guarding and safety training to prevent you from coming into contact with moving parts.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you performing routine adjustments or clearing jams when a machine unexpectedly cycles or a component moves. These incidents frequently occur during troubleshooting or while clearing debris from die-cast and fusion equipment. 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 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was adjusting the oscillator pressure injector on a die-cast machine when his right thumb contacted the adjustment handle. The machine oscillated and closed on his right thumb. The tip of the thumb was pinched and amputated between the die and the handle." | |
| 2025 | MS | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing regular duties in the cast house and sustained heat exhaustion." | |
| 2025 | CO | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a caster machine. While removing a cap cover, the catch pan moved up and caught his right arm against the caster blocks. He suffered lacerations and an open break of the ulna. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was operating a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fusion machine. The machine's carriage was directing a fitting that was being lifted from the machine when the employee's left ring finger was crushed in a pinch point, resulting in a fingertip amputation." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "Two employees were operating an aluminum die casting machine when a piston that pushed molten aluminum into the mold stopped dispensing aluminum correctly. After they had spent several hours fixing the issue, the machine cycled and the die closed on one employee's right hand. The employee suffered amputations to the index fingertip and the thumb at the knuckle." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee was clearing a bottle jam in the trimmer section of a blow mold machine when the machine restarted. The employee sustained amputation of their right thumb and lacerations to their right third and fifth fingers. The machine was energized and a guard was in place at the time." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was working by the slag side of a reverb in the furnace department. They returned home after the end of their shift and began feeling muscle cramps, resulting in hospitalization due to dehydration." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was looking into a furnace to check for parts. When the furnace closed, the employee's right little finger was caught by a piece of metal, resulting in a partial amputation." | |
| 2025 | OH | Other Services | "On June 13, 2025, an employee was applying sprayed concrete to the top of coke ovens in a tunnel that is typically around 200 degrees. Later in the day, they began to show signs of heat-related illness, resulting in hospitalization. " | |
| 2025 | NE | Manufacturing | "An employee was lighting a pilot light that burns off residual oxygen in the purge chamber of a heat-treating furnace. Residual gas and built-up oxygen in the purge chamber caused an explosion, which blew the front of the furnace's door off its track and the hood/exhaust system off its rivets. The employee was knocked down and suffered burns and lacerations to the left side of his face." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Seek immediate emergency medical care to stabilize your injury and preserve tissue. Once you are stable, report the injury to your employer in writing to initiate the workers' compensation process. An attorney can help ensure your claim is filed correctly and that you receive the full benefits you are entitled to under the law.
Employers are strictly required to follow OSHA standards, including 29 CFR 1910.212, which mandates that machines must be guarded to protect you from hazards like pinch points and rotating parts. If a lack of guarding or a failure to maintain safety devices contributed to your injury, you may have grounds for a claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer met these safety obligations.
Workers' compensation is a no-fault system, meaning you are generally entitled to benefits regardless of who was at fault for the accident. These benefits are designed to cover your medical expenses and a portion of your lost wages while you recover. An attorney can help you navigate the process and ensure your rights are protected throughout your recovery.
Lockout-tagout procedures are critical when performing maintenance or clearing jams on extruding and molding equipment. If your employer failed to provide the necessary training or equipment to DE-energize the machine, they may be liable for your injury. An attorney can help you review the circumstances of your accident to determine if a violation of safety protocols occurred.