How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 26 severe cases involving finishing and surfacing materials over the last decade. Amputations are the most common injury type, accounting for 27% of these reports. These incidents often involve heavy panels or trim that cause immediate, life-altering trauma to you.
The severity of these injuries is reflected in the high frequency of finger and brain injuries. When heavy materials fall or shift unexpectedly, you often face long-term disability and significant medical expenses. These cases highlight the physical risks inherent in handling construction and finishing components.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
The primary cause of injury is being struck by falling objects, which accounts for 64% of all reported incidents. You are frequently injured when wall panels, siding, or metal trim slip from a coworker's grasp, fall from heights, or shift while being moved. These accidents often occur during installation or removal, where the weight and sharp edges of the materials create an immediate hazard.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by falling object | 16 |
| 2 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 3 |
| 3 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 2 |
| 4 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 2 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 1 |
| 6 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 42% of reported incidents, as you frequently handle heavy siding, panels, and masonry. Retail trade follows at 19%, where you are often injured while moving large tiles or heavy inventory. These industries require rigorous material handling protocols to prevent objects from falling or shifting during transport and installation.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include materials slipping during manual handling, objects falling from heights, and structural components detaching from walls. Many reports describe you suffering severe lacerations or fractures when panels or trim unexpectedly lose stability. 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 | SD | Construction | "The injured employee was assisting with flipping over a wall panel (used for siding) when the panel slipped out of the other employee's hands. The panel crushed and lacerated the injured employee's fingertip. Flesh was surgically removed." | |
| 2025 | FL | Retail Trade | "An employee was lifting a 24 x 48" tile. The employee bent down to check the pallet tag (dye lot) and felt pain in their back and shoulder. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Information | "An employee was working from a scissor lift about 6 feet off the ground, installing pieces of cut, non-rusted galvanized steel siding on a premanufactured building. A piece of siding (about 3 feet long, weighing 2 to 4 pounds) slipped from the employee's grasp and cut the top of his right hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MS | Construction | "An employee was removing metal wall panels from a commercial building when a brick behind the panels fell on his leg, resulting in a broken left leg and a torn ACL in the right leg." | |
| 2025 | GA | Accommodation & Food Services | "On January 2, 2025, an employee was standing in the dining room when a piece of metal trim fell from the wall and struck them on the head. The employee was hospitalized with a concussion." | |
| 2024 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was working in a furnace, tearing out brick from the door jambs. A brick fell from about 5 feet above him and landed on his left middle finger. The fingertip was medically amputated." | |
| 2024 | IL | Construction | "A piece of terracotta coping fell from two stories above and struck an employee in the head causing facial fractures including a forehead fracture and an orbital bone fracture. " | |
| 2024 | PA | Construction | "An employee was cleaning when a brick fell from a roof and struck his head, resulting in a fractured skull." | |
| 2024 | OH | Construction | "An employee was cutting wood flooring materials in the driveway of a residential construction worksite. The employee used a table saw to rip the tongue off a fresh cut of wood approximately 12" in length. The saw kicked back, which sent the board forcefully backward into the employee's right knee. The board then ricocheted into their left arm. The impact from the wooden board ruptured the bursa sac in the employee's knee, requiring hospitalization for surgery. The employee also sustained a fractured femur. " | |
| 2024 | IL | Construction | "A crew of four employees were moving a large and heavy sectional floor panel from one room to another. They were utilizing two forklifts with a boom attachment as a lifting mechanism (tandem lifting). They moved the panel as much as they could through the doorway and then had to adjust it. They lowered the floor panel so that one side was resting on the floor. The employee went to make an adjustment when the floor panel slid and pinned his leg against a safety bollard that was outside the doorway. The employee suffered a fractured right tibia and fibula above the ankle." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.