How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 251 severe cases involving handtools over the last decade. The vast majority of these incidents result in deep cuts, lacerations, and punctures that require immediate medical intervention.
These injuries are particularly severe because they often involve your hands and fingers. With 31% of all cases impacting your fingers, you face permanent damage or the risk of amputation.
Hurt by a handtool? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most handtool injuries occur when you are handling the tool. When a tool kicks back, binds, or slips, it can cause immediate contact with you. These incidents are frequently linked to equipment that lacks proper guarding or has been poorly maintained, leaving you exposed to spinning blades or sharp edges.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Injured by object handled by person | 192 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— irregular movement, kick back | 10 |
| 3 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 10 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 6 |
| 5 | Struck by rolling, sliding, or shifting objects—non-running | 6 |
| 6 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 4 |
| 7 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 4 |
| 8 | Struck by running powered equipment— n.e.c. | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 44% of all handtool injuries, followed by construction at 31%. In these environments, the high-speed operation of grinders and cutters creates a constant risk of entanglement or contact. Your employer is required to provide adequate training and ensure all safety guards are functional to prevent these accidents.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve tools jumping or kicking back during operation, often causing severe lacerations to your forearm or finger amputations. Many incidents occur when your gloves or clothing become caught in the spinning mechanism of a grinder or planer. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you navigate your benefits.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | MA | Manufacturing | "An employee was grinding a part when the grinding disk got caught on the part and jumped outward, contacting the employee's left forearm. The employee suffered a gash and severed artery that required hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was scoring a concrete slab with an angle grinder. The slab fractured prematurely and caused the spinning blade of the angle grinder to become jammed and then lacerate the employee's left upper leg above the knee area. The employee sustained a 3-inch laceration." | |
| 2025 | NE | Construction | "An employee was cutting sheetrock overhead using a 4-inch grinder when it kicked back and the blade lacerated his left forearm." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "On June 4, 2025, an employee was descending a ladder after using an electric planer to shave down roof trusses. His right glove became caught in the planer and he sustained a partial amputation of his left ring finger." | |
| 2025 | PA | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was using an angle grinder to clean a weld. The employee's glove was caught by the grinding wheel and pulled their left index finger into the grinding wheel. The employee's fingertip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | MA | Manufacturing | "On May 15, 2025, an employee was cutting down steel mesh and debris that was protruding from a milled roadway. As the employee began to cut a piece of steel with an angle grinder, he steadied himself with his left hand and the tool contacted the top of his left wrist, resulting in a laceration that required hospitalization. " | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was using a grinder machine to cut through a section of concrete flooring at the job site. The grinder shifted due to uneven surface resistance and the rotating blade lacerated the inner side of his right foot, causing a wound about 4 inches long and inch deep." | |
| 2025 | WV | Construction | "An employee was working in a tight 15-inch space and using a 6-inch angle grinder to cut off an angle on an iron standoff boiler pulverizer. The grinder bound up in the angle, kicked back, lacerating the employee's left forearm." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was using a 7-inch grinder to grind a concrete joint on the ground. The grinder fell onto the employee's right foot, cut through his boot, and cut his right big toe. The employee sustained a compound fracture to his right toe and was hospitalized, requiring surgery." | |
| 2025 | MA | Construction | "An employee had been doing masonry work. The employee was using a handheld grinder to cut a wire rope when the grinder kicked back and lacerated the employee's arm. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.