How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 393 severe incidents involving paper production machinery over the last decade. Amputations and avulsions account for 73% of these cases, reflecting the extreme force and speed at which these machines operate during daily production cycles.
The physical toll is concentrated on your hands and fingers, which are involved in 75% of all reported incidents. These injuries often lead to permanent disability, requiring extensive surgical intervention and long-term rehabilitation when you rely on your dexterity to earn a living.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when you are caught or entangled in running powered equipment during normal operations, which accounts for 73% of all reported incidents. These accidents frequently happen when you attempt to clear jams, load cores, or stabilize moving paper rolls while the machine is still in motion. When guarding is absent or bypassed, the mechanical power of rollers and spindles can cause instant, life-altering trauma.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 283 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 34 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 26 |
| 4 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 17 |
| 5 | Struck against stationary object | 7 |
| 6 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 6 |
| 7 | Other fall to lower level | 4 |
| 8 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 94% of all reported incidents involving paper production machinery. This concentration exists because high-speed production environments prioritize continuous output, often leading to inadequate lockout-tagout procedures or the removal of safety guards to maintain machine speed during routine maintenance and material clearing.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve you attempting to clear jams or adjust materials while machines are still running. Many incidents occur during training or while you are performing routine tasks like removing scrap or changing paper rolls. If your injury occurred during a similar machine operation or while you were attempting to clear a jam, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "On July 9, 2025 at 5:30 AM, a temporary employee was monitoring the cores in the hopper and noticed two cores were loaded simultaneously. As the employee went to correct the jam, the machine cycled and caught his right little finger between the core transfer belt frame and the core loading mechanism. The finger was amputated to the first digit after the fingernail." | |
| 2025 | OH | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was performing a paper roll change at a paper sheeter machine. He was turning a non-driven unwind stand and the roll by hand when his left little fingertip got pinched between a machine depression in the chuck and the sensor. The employee's fingertip was partially amputated." | |
| 2025 | MA | Manufacturing | "An employee was operating a rewinder machine when the rewind arm began to bounce. While stabilizing the movement, the employee's right hand was caught in a pinch point between the rolling spindle and the mounting frame, resulting in a partial amputation of the right little fingertip. " | |
| 2025 | GA | Utilities | "On June 20, 2025, a temporary employee was cleaning the rollers on a rewinder machine when the their fingers were caught in the rollers, resulting in a crush injury and degloving of the right ring fingertip that required a surgical fingertip amputation. The incident occurred during training and the machine was in operation at the time." | |
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was removing scrap material from a laminator. The employee's right hand was caught by the machine's rollers, and the employee suffered a hand fracture and skin removal." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was loading a cardboard tube into the core machine when the door of the machine closed on his left little finger and cut a knuckle on his hand. The employee required surgery." | |
| 2025 | IL | Administrative Services | "An employee was cleaning up paper in the area. His hand became caught in the motor of the paper chopper and his middle fingertip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Administrative Services | "An employee was operating a heat press machine. His right foot was caught between a paper roller and the heat press, resulting in amputation of a toe." | |
| 2025 | LA | Wholesale Trade | "Two employees were checking for leaks and cracks on a recovery boiler. Another crew was welding inside the boiler, and an acetylene leak created a ball of fire that emerged from a valve and struck the two employees. One of them suffered burns to the right palm and face and the other suffered burns to the face." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "On April 23, 2025, an employee was assisting co-workers with a paper changeover on the corrugator when the machine started and the injured employee's foot was pulled between the tension rollers. The employee was hospitalized for crush injuries to the left foot and ankle." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.