How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 65 severe cases involving welding and heating tools over the last decade. Thermal burns are the most common injury type, often resulting in significant tissue damage that requires extensive medical intervention and long-term recovery.
These injuries frequently impact your fingers, which are the most vulnerable areas during tool operation. The severity of these incidents often leads to permanent impairment, affecting your ability to return to your previous role or maintain your earning capacity.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries involving welding and heating tools are primarily driven by contact with hot objects or substances, which accounts for 37% of all recorded events. You are often harmed when you inadvertently touch heated tips, energized heater bars, or exposed electrical components during routine operation or maintenance. These accidents frequently occur when tools are handed between employees or when equipment is not properly DE-energized before cleaning.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 23 |
| 2 | Direct exposure to electricity | 11 |
| 3 | Injured by object handled by person | 9 |
| 4 | Vehicle or machinery fire | 4 |
| 5 | Nonstructural fire— n.e.c. | 3 |
| 6 | Ignition of clothing | 3 |
| 7 | Explosion— n.e.c. | 2 |
| 8 | Indirect exposure to electricity | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 57% of all severe incidents involving welding and heating tools. The high volume of production work requires constant use of these devices, often under tight deadlines that increase your risk of contact with hot surfaces or electrical currents. Construction follows as the second most common industry, where the mobile nature of the work often complicates the implementation of consistent safety guarding and lockout procedures.
Real cases like yours
Recurring patterns in these incidents include contact with energized components, unexpected machine engagement during cleaning, and accidental contact with hot torch tips. These reports demonstrate that even routine tasks like inspecting a weld joint or troubleshooting a TIG gun carry significant risks when equipment is frayed or improperly guarded. 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 | VA | Manufacturing | "An employee was preparing to inspect a weld joint on a submarine module when she contacted a an exposed wire on the cable of an energized heater bar. The employee was hospitalized with a third-degree burn on her upper left arm." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was working on a flat welder and cleaning the electrodes with compressed air when the machine engaged and crushed his left index finger." | |
| 2024 | AL | Construction | "An employee was handing a hot welding torch to his employer when the welding tip touched the employee's left hand between the knuckle and wrist. The employee sustained a burn to the hand." | |
| 2024 | LA | Manufacturing | "An employee was troubleshooting a welding machine and sustained an electric shock while holding the TIG torch gun. The employee suffered a broken right tibia and fibula as well as a burn to the right ear." | |
| 2024 | VA | Manufacturing | "An employee touched the frame of a landing craft utility door. A frayed welding lead had come into contact with the door and energized it; the employee was shocked." | |
| 2024 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee approached an acetylene torch operator and attempted to get his attention by touching his arm. When the torch operator turned, the torch flame contacted the employee's right arm, resulting in a burn to the inner forearm." | |
| 2023 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was using a spot welder to assemble a locker door when it came down on his left middle finger, amputating the tip." | |
| 2023 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was welding the top connection of a new steel column. As he was descending the ladder, he slipped and went to grab the ladder rung when he contacted the welding rod/the machine cables. The employee suffered an electric shock and lost consciousness." | |
| 2023 | MO | Manufacturing | "An employee was welding when hot welding wire from their gun went through their glove, puncturing their right index finger." | |
| 2023 | NY | Manufacturing | "An employee was welding a pipe. The welding filler rod and vise grips became stuck. When the employee freed them, they made contact with the employee's chest, causing electrical burns." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.