How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 133 severe cases involving jacks and lift tables over the last decade. Amputations, avulsions, and enucleations account for 46% of these incidents, representing the most frequent nature of injury reported.
The severity of these injuries is underscored by the fact that 56% of all cases involve damage to your fingers. These incidents often lead to permanent impairment, requiring extensive medical intervention and long-term recovery.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving jacks and lift tables most often occur when you are caught between running equipment and other objects, accounting for 37% of all reported incidents. These accidents frequently happen during routine maintenance or when you are clearing stuck materials from a lift table. When equipment lacks proper guarding or fails to lock out correctly, you are at risk of being crushed or pinned by the machinery.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 46 |
| 2 | Struck by falling object | 21 |
| 3 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 13 |
| 4 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 9 |
| 5 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 7 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 5 |
| 7 | Injured by object handled by person | 5 |
| 8 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 29% of all jack-related severe injuries, followed by construction at 18%. These industries rely heavily on hydraulic lift tables and mechanical jacks for heavy lifting, which creates constant exposure to pinch points. Employers in these sectors are required to maintain strict machine guarding and lockout-tagout procedures to prevent these mechanical failures.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include lift tables engaging unexpectedly while you are clearing debris or performing adjustments. Many reports detail you suffering crushing injuries to fingers or feet when equipment lacks adequate safety sensors or physical barriers. If your injury involved a similar mechanical failure or lack of safety guarding, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was working with a pallet bagger, trimming excess corrugate off a tray. The load was raised on a lift table. The scrap being trimmed activated the lift table's photo eye, causing the table to lower. Its frame pinched the steel toe of the employee's left boot between a bracket and the concrete. The employee suffered fractures in the left foot and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "On June 9, 2025, a machine operator was using a sorting machine to sort/clean plastic sheets. While she was freeing stuck sheets on the lift table, the table engaged and crushed her against the top railing, trapping her torso. The employee was hospitalized with contusions to her back." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was screwing a locking nut into a leveling jack when their right thumb was caught in a pinch point, resulting in a fingertip amputation." | |
| 2025 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a lift table when his hand was crushed in it." | |
| 2025 | OH | Professional Services | "An employee was moving a mechanical lift table when the table fell on top of their right foot, resulting in an amputation of the second toe." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was retracting a hydraulic platform lift when his foot was caught in a pinch point between the moving piece and the fixed frame. The employee's left foot and toes were crushed." | |
| 2024 | NE | Manufacturing | "An employee was repairing a hydraulic lift table and installed a locking chock on it. As he was working, the lift table collapsed, pushing the chock out and crushing his left arm. He sustained a fractured radius and ulna. The lift table was not locked out/tagged out at the time." | |
| 2024 | TX | Administrative Services | "An employee was using a hydraulic lift to get a steel box full of coins into a truck. The employee noticed the box was going to get caught on the bumper. He went to move the box and the hydraulic lift caught his thumb, resulting in partial amputation." | |
| 2024 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee went to retrieve his welding mask which was on the ground and hung it up on the landing gear of a cane trailer. He kicked the trailer landing gear forward so it would swing up and forward. As he did this, the stool he was sitting on moved and his foot slipped off the landing gear. The landing gear then swung backward and pinched his right middle fingertip against the ear pin, resulting in amputation." | |
| 2024 | CA | Manufacturing | "Employees were dismantling scaffolding on a navy ship. The injured employee was standing on the 01 level weather deck, receiving scaffold material from the 02 level scaffold structure. A screw jack (weighing approximately 10 pounds) was tossed to the injured employee and his right little finger was caught between the screw jack and the bulkhead. The employee sustained an open fracture to the finger." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.