How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 551 severe cases involving petroleum and coal products over the last decade. Thermal burns account for 72% of these injuries, often resulting in long-term medical complications and significant time away from work.
The severity of these burns often requires specialized care and can permanently alter your ability to perform your job duties.
Burned by fuel or chemicals? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Flash fires are the primary cause of injury, accounting for 46% of reported incidents. These events often occur during fuel transfers or when vapors ignite near heat sources. Contact with hot substances accounts for 22% of incidents, while being struck by propelled objects accounts for 13%.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flash fire | 253 |
| 2 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 122 |
| 3 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 71 |
| 4 | Contact with cold objects or substances | 26 |
| 5 | Exposure to harmful substance through exposed tissue | 19 |
| 6 | Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids | 17 |
| 7 | Inhalation of harmful substance | 14 |
| 8 | Struck by falling object | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 25% of these severe injuries, followed by construction at 23% and mining at 12%. These industries rely heavily on high-volume fuel handling and complex machinery, where deviations from safety standards can lead to fires or chemical exposure.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve fuel ignition during routine transfers, spills during refueling, and fires triggered by nearby heat sources. You may suffer burns while attempting to stop leaks or manage equipment malfunctions. 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 | PA | Construction | "An employee was fueling a gasoline-powered pressure washer with a safety fuel can. During the transfer the fuel ignited, causing a fire. The employee sustained burns to his nose, and his right hand and forearm." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was handling a portable gas can when gas spilled on him. A lighter caused the fumes to ignite while he was in his truck. The employee sustained burns to his hands and abdomen." | |
| 2025 | PA | Transportation & Warehousing | "One of the compartments where hoses hook up on a truck was frozen. An employee took the truck home and used a torpedo heater to unfreeze the hose area of the compartment. He then used a lever and the compartment opened. Some diesel fuel spilled out of a hose and caught on fire, burning the employee and the trailer." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was draining a scrubber when fluids came out of a flare and ignited. The employee was hospitalized for first- and second-degree burns to his hands, elbow, and upper thighs." | |
| 2025 | MT | Manufacturing | "An employee was unloading diesel fuel from one compartment in a tanker to the next compartment. Fuel was released when a valve was opened. When the employee tried to stop the flow, some of the fuel entered his mouth. He became ill due to fuel ingestion and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was in the back of a truck, adding gasoline to a compressor. Some gas escaped and the fumes caused a flash fire. The employee suffered burns to the left hand, wrist, and elbow, as well as a small area on the left lower back." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting the water system in the hydrocracker fractionator when naphtha vapors ignited. The employee sustained burns to their face, arms, back and the upper portion of both legs." | |
| 2025 | AL | Construction | "On January 17, 2025, an employee was starting a tree limb and stump burn pile at an excavation site using diesel fuel and a starter stick. The wind shifted and vapors ignited causing a fire. The employee sustained second-degree burns to their face, arms, and knees and was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | FL | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was filling a pressure washer with gasoline when the vapors ignited, resulting in the employee suffering burns to his face, hands, and arms." | |
| 2024 | FL | Retail Trade | "An employee was pressure washing the parking lot. He walked over to fuel station #3 and began fueling the plastic container with 87 octane gasoline. The container overflowed and caught on fire, burning the employee. The employee sustained third-degree burns to his torso, both arms and both legs." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.