How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 452 severe cases involving skids and pallets over the last decade. Fractures are the most common injury type, accounting for 45% of all reported incidents, followed by amputations.
These injuries frequently target your fingers and pelvic region. The severity of these incidents often stems from the weight of the materials you move and the height from which they fall.
How these injuries happen
Injuries involving skids and pallets are most often caused by falling objects, which account for 48% of all reported incidents. You are frequently struck when stacked goods shift, pallet racks fail, or loads are improperly secured during transport. Other common mechanisms include being compressed between equipment and pallets or tripping over discarded shrink wrap and misplaced skids on the warehouse floor.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Struck by falling object | 203 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 74 |
| 3 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 58 |
| 4 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 13 |
| 5 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 13 |
| 6 | Fall on same level | 13 |
| 7 | Struck against stationary object | 11 |
| 8 | Injured by object handled by person | 10 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 32% of all severe pallet-related injuries, largely due to the constant movement of heavy finished goods. Transportation and warehousing follow closely, where the high-speed demands of loading docks and the reliance on vertical pallet racking systems create significant risks for you.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you being struck by collapsing pallet racks, losing your balance while climbing on stacks of goods, or suffering crushing injuries to your fingers while manually handling wooden pallets. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you determine if your employer failed to maintain a safe environment.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was using straps to secure a load inside a transport trailer. The employee was standing on a stack of finished goods that was three pallets high. Each pallet was 16 inches high. He was walking from the stack of three pallets onto a stack of two pallets when he lost his balance and fell onto another stack of finished goods (that was two pallets high) and then landed on the floor of the trailer. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs." | |
| 2025 | LA | Retail Trade | "An employee was moving a pallet of protein drink. When she unhitched the straps, the uprights of the pallet rack fell. The pallet of protein drinks fractured her right arm. She was hospitalized and required surgery." | |
| 2025 | OK | Retail Trade | "An employee was loading up a stock cart. The employee stepped onto a resting pallet and grabbed a case of water to move onto the stock cart. As they stepped off the pallet, their heel got stuck on a piece of plastic shrink wrap, causing them to trip and fall onto the concrete floor. The employee landed on their hip and required hip surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee had just retrieved a roll of packing dunnage. The employee tripped while stepping off a pallet, fell to the concrete floor, and suffered a broken right hip." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "Two employees were removing a wooden pallet from a stack of pallets. One employee's left little finger was pinched between two pallets, causing a fingertip amputation without bone loss." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee was moving a pallet of feed from the floor level of the racking when a beam on the second tier broke causing a pallet of product to fall onto the employee. The employee sustained a fractured femur that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was moving pallets when a pallet fell onto his ring finger causing a fingertip amputation. " | |
| 2025 | AL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was stacking cases of product, each weighing approximately 10 - 20 pounds, onto a pallet inside a railcar. A pallet that was stored on an upper level dislodged and fell, striking the employee from behind. The employee sustained a dislocated left hip." | |
| 2025 | AL | Professional Services | "Employees were moving a pallet filled with heavy items onto an aircraft. Because of the weight of the assets on the pallet train, employees hooked up a strap in front of the pallet to get the pallet rolling while the other team members were pushing from behind. An employee's foot was crushed under the pallet. The employee sustained fractures to their toes and the bottom of his foot was lacerated. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | NY | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was offloading an airplane flight. After driving a transporter car to place a pallet on a static rack, he got off the transporter to apply the lock and secure the pallet on the rack. The pallet began to roll off the rack and pinned the employee against the transporter. He suffered a broken right leg." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Workers' Compensation is designed to cover injuries that occur during the scope of your employment, including those involving skids and pallets. If you were injured while moving, stacking, or working near pallets, you are generally entitled to medical coverage and lost wage benefits. An attorney can help you ensure your claim is filed correctly and that you receive the full benefits you are owed.
A pallet rack collapse is a serious safety failure that often points to improper maintenance or overloading by your employer. You should seek immediate medical attention and report the incident to your supervisor in writing as soon as possible. Because these cases often involve complex liability issues, speaking with an attorney can help you document the scene and protect your rights.
Employers have a legal obligation under OSHA standards to provide a safe workplace, which includes training you on the proper handling of materials and the safe operation of storage systems. If your injury resulted from a lack of training or inadequate safety protocols, your employer may be held accountable. An attorney can investigate whether your employer met these essential safety requirements.
Recovery times for fractures caused by heavy pallets or falling objects vary significantly based on the severity of the break and the body part affected. You may require surgery and extensive physical therapy to regain full function, which can keep you out of work for months. An attorney can help you understand how your specific injury may impact your long-term earning capacity and benefit eligibility.