How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 513 severe cases involving fasteners over the last decade. The vast majority of these incidents result in cuts, lacerations, or punctures, which account for 61 percent of all reported injuries.
These injuries are frequently severe, with amputations occurring in 17 percent of documented cases. Your fingers are the most commonly affected body part, often suffering permanent damage when fasteners fail or are handled improperly under tension.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving fasteners typically occur when hardware fails under pressure or is improperly secured during maintenance. Most incidents involve being struck by a propelled object, such as a coupling or bolt that releases unexpectedly. You are also frequently caught between equipment components when fasteners slip or break, leading to crushing injuries or amputations.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 314 |
| 2 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 48 |
| 3 | Struck against stationary object | 46 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 39 |
| 5 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 13 |
| 6 | Injured by object handled by person | 12 |
| 7 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 6 |
| 8 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 6 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 40 percent of all fastener-related injuries, followed by construction at 34 percent. In these environments, you regularly handle high-tension machinery and heavy components where a single failed bolt or improperly seated fastener can trigger a catastrophic release of energy.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include equipment maintenance failures, such as hydraulic couplings giving way or tensioned wire mesh slipping during installation. These reports show that even routine tasks like removing masking tape or adjusting tracks can lead to life-altering injuries if hardware is not properly secured. 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 | OK | Construction | "An employee was preparing to replace links in the track of a dozer. As he was setting up a hydraulic press tool and working to get it in the right position, a coupling on a hydraulic hose gave way. The coupling struck the employee's right arm, resulting in lacerations and a fracture." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was retrieving a hose from a trailer. The employee tripped over a crossover sub and fell off the trailer. The crossover sub then rolled off the trailer and struck the employee's leg between the knee and ankle. The employee sustained a fracture." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "An employee was hanging wire mesh from a lift that was approximately 15 feet high. As the employee was adding tension to the wire, a U-bolt slid down, causing a left index fingertip amputation." | |
| 2025 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee was assisting water treatment plant personnel with changing a flange when their finger got caught between the two pieces. The employee sustained a finger amputation." | |
| 2025 | CO | Construction | "At about 4:20 a.m. on July 22, 2025, an employee of Blackeagle Energy Services was removing masking tape from a 24-inch, 450-pound flange on a pipe rack. Dunnage supporting the flange failed and it fell, crushing the employee's left hand against the rack. The employee suffered a partially severed middle finger, crushed bones, and lacerations/tendon damage to the ring finger. The employee was hospitalized, and the middle finger was medically amputated at the first knuckle." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a nail gun when it fired a nail into his thigh. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | KS | Manufacturing | "An employee was at the jobsite preparing to help with the use of a new rock clamp that is operated by machine but guided into place by hand on the ground. The employee reached and gripped the bottom of the clamp to move it. Linkage activated that crushed his left middle fingertip resulting in an amputation." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was positioning a form brace before using a nail gun to secure it in place. The employee set his nail gun down on a rebar form, and when he picked it up, it discharged a nail that penetrated his abdomen. The employee required surgery to repair his stomach." | |
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was utilizing a jersey barrier clamp that was hooked to a chain. The beam clamp was being set down on the bed of a truck when the chain got caught. The employee was working to untangle the chain when the clamp came down and crushed their right little finger. About 1 inch of the finger was amputated." | |
| 2025 | IL | Construction | "An employee was sheathing a roof when his nail gun discharged a nail into his right ankle." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.