How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 264 severe cases involving valves and nozzles over the last decade. The most frequent injury type is amputations, avulsions, and enucleations, which account for 70% of all reported incidents.
These injuries are particularly severe because they often involve high-pressure systems or heavy mechanical components. Finger injuries are the most common outcome, representing 72% of all reported cases, frequently leading to permanent loss of function.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving valves and nozzles typically occur when you are caught between moving parts or struck by pressurized components. Many incidents happen during routine maintenance or when equipment is unexpectedly activated, causing your hands or fingers to become trapped in the internal mechanisms of rotary or automated valves.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 54 |
| 2 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 50 |
| 3 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 45 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 34 |
| 5 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 33 |
| 6 | Struck by running powered equipment— during maintenance, cleaning, testing | 11 |
| 7 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 6 |
| 8 | Caught or wedged between objects— nonrunning | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 50% of all reported valve and nozzle injuries, largely due to the high volume of automated assembly lines and fluid transfer systems. Mining and construction also report significant numbers, where you may handle heavy-duty valves under extreme pressure or during complex installation and repair tasks.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you getting limbs caught in rotary internals, being struck by components ejected under pressure, or suffering crush injuries while maneuvering heavy valves into position. 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 safety failures contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was spotting for a forklift. He was walking when an assembly valve (that was on or in the ground) fell due to a cave-in. The assembly valve struck the employee's left ankle and fractured it." | |
| 2025 | LA | Construction | "An employee was removing a 24" OD actuator valve that weighed 10,000 pounds from a structure on the fifth floor using a lattice crane. During the lift, the valve became hung up on the permanent handrail and their left thumb was caught between the valve and the handrail. The employee sustained a partial amputation of the thumb." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was adding a new gauge for a pipe when air pressure built up and ejected the new metallic valve. The valve struck the employee, resulting in an eye injury and a fracture to the face beneath the eye." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was demonstrating how to disassemble and reassemble a metal filter unit from the cathode powder transfer line. During the open/close operation of an automated valve, the employee s latex glove became caught. The employee sustained a partial amputation to the left index finger." | |
| 2025 | AL | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a plug on a starch silo chute. The employee was caught by the internals of the rotary valve resulting in amputations to the tips of their right first and second digits." | |
| 2025 | NY | Manufacturing | "Two employees were re-packing a butterfly valve. The valve was being held by a crane. An employee added air to the valve to close it. The valve moved and the other employee reached to steady it. His thumb was caught in the valve and the thumb tip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing maintenance on an air actuator and was working to clear a jam on a ball valve when the ball valve amputated their left index fingertip." | |
| 2025 | MA | Manufacturing | "An employee was closing a valve when their finger became caught in the valve and the fingertip was amputated." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was opening a pressure valve camlock on a transport truck. When the employee released the camlock, the valve cap struck the employee in the midsection. The employee suffered a broken rib and internal bleeding." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "An employee was working with a pump truck operator to retrieve a retrievable plug down the hole. They were flushing sand off of a retrievable bridge packer (RBP). The TIW valve was rigged up with a swivel joint to the pump truck hose when it came loose and fell from overhead. The TIW valve struck the employee in the head and shoulder causing him to fall over. The employee sustained head trauma, a broken shoulder blade, and injuries to his shoulder, arm, and elbow. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.