How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 25 severe cases involving medical and surgical machinery over the past decade. The most frequent injury type is amputations, avulsions, and enucleations, which account for 64% of all reported incidents.
The severity of these incidents is reflected in the high rate of finger injuries, which represent 67% of all cases.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving medical equipment typically occur when you are caught or entangled in running powered machinery during normal operation, which accounts for 36% of all recorded events. Other common scenarios involve direct exposure to electricity, accounting for 20% of incidents, or being struck by running powered equipment, which accounts for 16% of cases.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 9 |
| 2 | Direct exposure to electricity | 5 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 4 |
| 4 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 2 |
| 5 | Injured by object handled by person | 1 |
| 6 | Struck by falling object | 1 |
| 7 | Struck against stationary object | 1 |
| 8 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Health care facilities account for 64% of these severe injuries, as you frequently interact with complex imaging and diagnostic machinery.
Real cases like yours
Reported incidents reveal a pattern of you suffering severe trauma while performing routine maintenance or troubleshooting on imaging devices. From electrical shocks during cable repairs to fingertip amputations caused by cooling fans, these events highlight the dangers of working with high-voltage medical hardware. 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 | UT | Professional Services | "An X-ray machine had lost power and an employee went to replace the power supply. While replacing a cable on the power supply assembly, the employee's right hand contacted the grounding terminals coming out of the back of the power supply assembly and they received an electric shock. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a fan on a CT imaging device when their right middle fingertip was amputated by the fan." | |
| 2023 | TX | Health Care | "An employee was increasing the regulator in the wall-mounted suction of the radiology department when they struck their head on the C-arm. The employee sustained a subdermal hematoma." | |
| 2022 | NJ | Health Care | "An employee was lifting a balloon pump out of a medical transport van when they sustained ruptured blood vessels in the arm. The employee was hospitalized and had surgery." | |
| 2022 | GA | Health Care | "An employee was reaching into the electrical panel of a CT Scanner and was shocked by 480 volts of electricity. The employee sustained electrical shock and burns to the right hand and arm." | |
| 2022 | WV | Health Care | "An employee was putting a tissue block in the clamp of a microtome when their left thumb was caught between the block and blade holder stage resulting in partial amputation of the left thumb without nail or bone loss." | |
| 2021 | CT | Health Care | "An employee was using a microtome to prepare slides for staining. The microtome blade lacerated the employee's left index finger, resulting in the amputation of part of the fingertip (without bone loss)." | |
| 2021 | DE | Health Care | "An employee was conducting maintenance on a rotary microtome when the tip of their right little finger contacted the microtome blade, resulting in an amputation." | |
| 2021 | ME | Manufacturing | "An employee was adjusting a machine when it cycled and its parts caused the amputation of the employee's middle fingertip." | |
| 2020 | OH | Health Care | "An employee was moving a surgical laser machine to a different location when the fingers of his right hand were caught and crushed between the machine and a door frame, resulting in the surgical amputation of his right small fingertip." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Immediately report the injury to your supervisor and seek medical attention to document the severity of your condition. Ensure that the incident is recorded in your employer's safety logs, as this documentation is critical for your workers' compensation claim. An attorney can help you ensure that all necessary evidence is preserved to support your case.
Workers' compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries occurring within the scope of your employment. If your injury resulted from a machine malfunction or lack of proper training, you are entitled to benefits. An attorney can assist you in verifying that your claim is processed correctly and that your benefits are paid fairly.
Employers are required to maintain a safe working environment and ensure that all medical machinery is properly guarded and inspected. If your employer failed to provide adequate training or neglected necessary maintenance, they may be held accountable for the resulting harm. An attorney can evaluate whether your employer met these safety obligations.
Recovery times vary significantly depending on the nature of your injury, especially with complex trauma like amputations or electrical burns. You may require extensive physical therapy and face long-term limitations that impact your ability to return to your previous role. An attorney can help you understand how your long-term recovery needs should be reflected in your compensation.