How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 134 severe incidents involving hooks, shackles, and magnets over the last decade. Amputations and avulsions are the most frequent injury type, accounting for 49% of all reported cases.
These injuries are severe because they often involve high-force mechanical energy. Fingers are the most affected body part, suffering 57% of all reported injuries, which frequently leads to permanent loss of function.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving this equipment typically occur when you are caught between running machinery and a load or struck by a component that has failed. The most common event is being compressed between equipment and another object, which accounts for 39% of all cases. These incidents often happen when a load shifts unexpectedly, a sling hook slips, or a magnet loses its grip, causing heavy materials to fall or swing into you.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 50 |
| 2 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 20 |
| 3 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 17 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 17 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 9 |
| 6 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 5 |
| 7 | Injured by object handled by person | 3 |
| 8 | Struck by running powered equipment— n.e.c. | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 52% of all reported hook and magnet injuries. This frequency is driven by the constant use of overhead cranes and automated lifting systems to move heavy steel components. Construction follows at 19%, where the dynamic nature of rigging and hoisting creates frequent opportunities for equipment to fail or for you to be caught in the line of fire.
Real cases like yours
The incident reports reveal a recurring pattern of equipment failure and human error during manual rigging tasks. You are frequently injured when lifting loops retract unexpectedly, slings slip under load, or magnets shift during placement. 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 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was loading components into fixtures on an automated CNC Line. He was moving a J-Hook lifting apparatus by hand from its storage location to the raw material area in order to pick up a piece of steel. The employee had the crane remote and the neck of the J-Hook apparatus in his right hand. When he went to set the J-Hook down on the floor, he placed his left middle finger inside of the lifting loop of the magnet. As he manually lowered the J-Hook to the floor by the neck, it fell. As the neck dropped to the floor, the magnet shifted and the lifting loop of the magnet retracted into the bracket of the J-Hook, fracturing and amputating the fingertip." | |
| 2025 | NE | Manufacturing | "An employee was applying spreader hooks to hogs. A hog fell from the hook that he was holding upright and the hook lacerated a tendon in his left hand. The employee was hospitalized for surgery. " | |
| 2025 | AR | Manufacturing | "An employee was hoisting an axle in the buggy department when one side of the sling came loose, causing the axle to tip. The sling hook raised up from the weight transfer, causing the employee's left little finger to be caught by the rigidness of the hook. The fingertip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was rigging equipment at a manufacturing site. He was rigging a chain sling with a hook to lift up machine paneling and access the linear bearings. The chain sling hook slipped, went into the air, and struck the employee on the head, resulting in a skull fracture and brain bleed." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was moving several bundles of building materials with an overhead crane. The load was off-center when he picked it up, so the employee set it down, repositioned the chains, and lifted the bundle again. When the bundle was lifted, one of the hooks immediately came loose and shot back, striking him on his right cheek. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured cheekbone and facial lacerations, and he required surgery." | |
| 2025 | IL | Wholesale Trade | "On March 18, 2025, an employee was stacking parts using an overhead crane equipped with an electromagnet when their left ring finger got caught in a pinch point between the parts, resulting in a fingertip amputation." | |
| 2024 | WI | Manufacturing | "An employee was checking an inline magnet. The magnet was placed on a cart next to another magnet and the magnets moved toward each other. The employee's right ring fingertip was caught and amputated." | |
| 2024 | AL | Manufacturing | "On November 25, 2024, an assembly line employee was preparing to hoist a fully assembled cast iron fire hydrant using a C-clamp hoist. Their left index fingertip became caught between the hook and the eye ring resulting in amputation of the fingertip." | |
| 2024 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was spacing cow carcasses, which were suspended on the railing of a conveyor. A carcass came off the railing and fell to the killing floor. A shackle also fell off the conveyor, and it struck the middle of the employee's left foot and broke it." | |
| 2024 | WV | Utilities | "An employee was helping a contractor unload reels of wire using a digger derrick lifting hook. The hook struck the employee in the head below the hard hat, causing a laceration. The employee was hospitalized." |
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, then ensure the incident is documented by your employer. Because amputations are severe, they fall under mandatory OSHA reporting requirements, which creates an official record of the event. An attorney can help you navigate the Workers' Compensation process to ensure your long-term medical and rehabilitation needs are covered.
Your employer is responsible for providing safe equipment and ensuring that rigging hardware is inspected and maintained according to safety standards. If a failure occurred because of improper maintenance, lack of training, or faulty equipment, you may have a valid claim for Workers' Compensation or additional damages. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer met their safety obligations.
Finger injuries are the most common outcome, representing 57% of all reported cases involving these tools. These injuries often involve crushing or amputation when your hand is caught in a pinch point or between a hook and a load. Because these injuries often require surgery and extensive recovery, an attorney can help you understand the full scope of your potential benefits.
OSHA mandates that all rigging equipment must be inspected before each use and removed from service if damaged. Your employer must also ensure that you are properly trained to handle lifting devices and that loads are rigged to prevent shifting or falling. If your employer failed to follow these safety protocols, an attorney can help you hold them accountable for your injuries.