What is the Most Common Injury Caused by Working With Machines Unsafely?

What is the Most Common Injury Caused by Working With Machines Unsafely?

By Pyle Law, Reviewed by E. Thomas Pyle August 26 2024 8:22 am

Key Takeaways

• Lacerations are the most common injury from unsafe machinery in Kansas workplaces.
• Amputations, crush injuries, burns, and fractures often follow serious machinery incidents.
• Missing guards, poor maintenance, and skipped lockout/tagout procedures cause most machinery accidents.
• Injured workers can pursue workers’ compensation and possibly a separate claim against a negligent manufacturer.
• Kansas law requires injury notice within 30 calendar days, given in person or in writing.
• Workers’ compensation covers machinery injuries without needing to prove employer fault.

Workers across Kansas manufacturing plants and farms operate heavy machinery every day, and even a brief lapse in safety procedure can cause lasting harm. What is the most common injury caused by working with machines unsafely? In industrial and agricultural states like Kansas, lacerations and cuts from sharp edges or moving parts occur most frequently, often stemming from missing safety guards or bypassed lockout and tagout procedures- the safety steps that shut off a machine’s power before it is serviced. Pyle Law | Kansas Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation Lawyer has spent over 25 years standing beside injured Kansans, and having a Kansas Workers’ Compensation Attorney on your case early helps protect your health and your claim.

The Most Common Injuries Caused by Unsafe Machinery

Lacerations are the answer most people find when they search “What is the most common injury caused by working with machines unsafely?” These typically occur when a worker’s hand or arm contacts an exposed blade, unguarded belt, or spinning part. Depending on depth, a laceration can damage nerves, tendons, or arteries, sometimes requiring surgery and leaving permanent numbness or reduced grip strength.

Beyond cuts, unsafe machines produce several other severe injuries. Amputations happen when fingers, hands, or limbs become caught in gears, presses, or rollers, a hazard serious enough that OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on Amputations specifically targets manufacturing worksites for enforcement. Crush injuries result from heavy equipment or pinch points and frequently cause fractures or internal damage. Burns occur from hot surfaces, sparks, or chemical exposure, while flying debris or metal shavings cause eye injuries. Repetitive machine operation also contributes to musculoskeletal injuries affecting the back, shoulders, and wrists over time.

Many of these injuries carry lasting consequences, including chronic pain, reduced mobility, and an inability to return to the same job.

What Is Considered Unsafe Machinery in the Workplace?

Unsafe machinery is any mechanical or electrical equipment that could seriously hurt or kill a worker. Factors that make machinery unsafe include missing or damaged guards, worn components that were never replaced, and equipment modified without proper testing. A machine can also be unsafe because of a manufacturing or design flaw that existed before it ever reached a Kansas job site.

What Causes Machinery-Related Workplace Accidents?

Kansas machinery accidents rarely come out of nowhere. In case after case, the same preventable failures show up:

• Improper Machine Maintenance: Skipped inspections and delayed repairs allow worn parts to fail without warning.
• Malfunctioning Equipment: Machines that break down unexpectedly during normal operation often signal deeper mechanical problems.
• Design Defects: A flawed blueprint can make a machine dangerous even when it is used exactly as intended.
• Lack of Training: Workers who never received proper instruction are far more likely to operate equipment unsafely.
• Failure to Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Skipping gloves, goggles, or hearing protection increases the severity of an otherwise survivable accident.
• Missing Safety Machine Guards: OSHA’s machine guarding standards require guards on equipment with moving parts, yet guards are sometimes removed to speed up production.
• Lockout/Tagout Violations: Servicing a machine without properly shutting off its power exposes workers to sudden, unexpected movement.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Injuries Caused by Unsafe Machinery?

No two machinery injury cases play out the same way. Depending on what caused the accident, responsibility may fall on the employer, the equipment manufacturer, or another third party involved in maintaining or servicing the machine.

When Is Your Employer Liable for Injuries From Unsafe Machinery?

Kansas workers’ compensation operates on a “no-fault” system, meaning an injured worker generally does not need to prove employer negligence to receive benefits, and this remains the primary path to medical and wage benefits no matter what the employer did or didn’t do.

When Is the Machine Manufacturer Liable for Unsafe Machine Injuries?

When a machine’s design or manufacturing process causes the injury rather than a workplace safety failure, an injured worker may be able to bring a product liability claim, a legal claim against the company that made, distributed, or sold the machine. This claim can proceed alongside a workers’ compensation case rather than replacing it, since K.S.A. 44-504 allows an injured worker to accept compensation benefits while also pursuing a separate action against a negligent third party such as a manufacturer. Common reasons these claims succeed include defective parts, missing warnings, or a design that made the machine dangerous even when used exactly as intended.

Related reading: What Are the Main Causes of Injuries When Using Forklifts?

What Are Your Employer’s Responsibilities Regarding Safe Use of Machinery?

Kansas authorities impose regulations on employers to ensure workers’ safety when using machines. Your employer is responsible for:

• Maintaining and inspecting work equipment regularly
• Ensuring machines have all required safety features
• Providing the right type of equipment for the job
• Offering suitable protective equipment for employees using machinery
• Providing proper training on any equipment an employee operates
• Carrying out risk assessments to identify hazards a machine poses

Injuries resulting from neglecting these responsibilities might qualify an injured worker for a claim from the employer’s workers’ insurance.

What Should You Do After a Machinery Accident at Work?

Taking the right steps after a machinery accident protects your health and strengthens your claim.

• Seek medical care immediately, even for injuries that seem minor
• Report the accident to your supervisor in person or in writing, since notice under K.S.A. 44-520 is required within 30 calendar days of the accident
• Photograph the machine and your injuries
• Collect witness contact information
• Keep a record of every medical appointment tied to the incident

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Machinery Injury?

Medical treatment tied to a machinery injury is generally covered under Kansas workers’ compensation, along with a portion of lost wages during recovery. A permanent impairment can qualify an injured worker for additional disability benefits.

When a third party, such as a manufacturer, bears responsibility, a separate claim may also recover damages for pain, suffering, and losses that workers’ compensation does not address.

Injured by Unsafe Machinery At Work? Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today

A machinery injury can change more than your paycheck, affecting how you work and live for years to come. Pyle Law | Kansas Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation Lawyer has spent over 25 years standing beside injured Kansans and understands the details that make or break a machinery injury claim. If you are still asking “what is the most common injury caused by working with machines unsafely?” and want to understand your options, call (620) 241-9000 today to speak with a workers’ compensation attorney about your case.