How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 39 severe incidents involving pumps over the past year and a half. Amputations are the most common injury type, representing 51 percent of these cases, which highlights the danger posed by moving pump components.
Finger injuries occur in 58 percent of these incidents, often resulting in permanent damage. These injuries are frequently life-altering, requiring extensive surgery and long-term rehabilitation for you.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most pump injuries occur when you are performing routine maintenance, cleaning, or testing. The most common event is being struck by running powered equipment, which accounts for 45 percent of all reported incidents. You are often caught by moving pistons, rotating shafts, or unexpected machine activation while troubleshooting a malfunction, leading to severe crushing or amputation injuries.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 17 |
| 2 | Struck by falling object | 5 |
| 3 | Struck by running powered equipment— irregular movement, kick back | 3 |
| 4 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 2 |
| 5 | Exposure to electric arc | 2 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 1 |
| 7 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 1 |
| 8 | Fire— unspecified | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing leads with 46 percent of all pump-related incidents, followed by construction at 23 percent. These industries rely heavily on high-pressure fluid and material movement, creating environments where pump failure or improper guarding during maintenance can lead to immediate contact with moving parts.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you attempting to clear clogs or troubleshoot vibrations while the equipment is still capable of movement. Many reports describe pistons activating unexpectedly or shafts grabbing gloves, leading to degloving and compound fractures. 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 | CO | Construction | "An employee was cleaning out a grout pump when his hand became caught in moving parts. The employee's fingers were amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was using an air-actuated pump to pump oil from a mill to a 55-gallon drum when the pump malfunctioned. The employee went to fix the pump when it activated and the piston contacted their left index fingertip, resulting in an amputation." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was cleaning the cylinder on a 55-gallon barrel pump. While he was cleaning built-up material from under the baseplate, the piston started moving and caught his thumb against the seat. Three-quarters of an inch of the thumb was degloved; he was hospitalized, requiring surgery." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Public Administration | "An employee noticed a polymer mixer pump was shaking and went to troubleshoot it. The employee was working to rotate the shaft of the mixer pump when the shaft started and grabbed his glove. He sustained a compound fracture to the left thumb." | |
| 2025 | FL | Agriculture | "An employee was servicing a master lift station and setting up a power analyzer when an arc flash occurred. The employee sustained burns to their hand, arm, neck, and face." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Manufacturing | "The injured employee removed a front plate to clean a pump. His left hand was caught in moving parts and the employee's middle fingertip was amputated. " | |
| 2025 | MO | Construction | "An employee was pouring concrete. The hose clogged and then whipped around and struck the employee in the abdomen. The employee sustained liver damage and internal bleeding." | |
| 2025 | IL | Transportation & Warehousing | "On March 27, 2025, a truck driver had pulled up to a riser to load fuel into their truck. The driver was pulling down on the loading arm at the fuel terminal, or lifting the fuel loading arm when they felt pain in their abdomen. The employee sustained a hernia." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Other Services | "Three employees were removing a vertical turbine pump assembly, consisting of an electric motor, pump head, and submerged bowls. After removing the motor and staging it for transport, the team began lifting the remaining pump system and disconnecting the pump head from the bowl assembly. The pump head was lifted approximately three inches before halting due to internal binding of the shaft. While freeing the system, slack built up in the rigging. As the load settled and shifted, the slack released, causing the pump head to drop, pinching an employee s left hand between two flange surfaces. The employee sustained partial amputations to the middle and ring fingers." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "A crew was priming a cement pump. To help grout start moving through the pump, they ran a few gallons of water through it and started it in forward until the grout reached the end of the first 20-foot hose section. They then placed the pump in neutral, connected the next 20-foot hose with hose clamps, and began pumping again. As the grout traveled through the second hose, it clogged. The pump was put in neutral just as the hose kicked, and the motion traveled down the length of the hose. An employee was holding the end of the hose when it kicked up and struck him in the left side of the face, causing fractures." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.