When it comes to machinery, accidents happen. Whether it’s a misunderstanding between a human and machine or a malfunctioning part, machinery can cause serious accidents. In this article, we will explore some of the most common Houston Texas machinery accidents and what you can do to protect yourself if one happens to you.
Accident Statistics
Houston Texas is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth most populous city in the United States. The Greater Houston area has a population of over 6 million people and includes parts of Harris and Fort Bend counties. Machinery accidents are a common occurrence in Houston, and according to data from the National Safety Council, Texans are more likely than any other group to be injured or killed in machinery accidents.
The majority of machine accidents in Houston occur in industrial settings (71 percent), followed by construction (10 percent), transportation (5 percent), and agriculture (4 percent).
The major types of machines involved in machine accidents in Houston are heavy equipment (56 percent), construction equipment (11 percent), agricultural equipment (10 percent), and mechanical engineering equipment (8 percent).
The most common cause of machine accidents in Houston is operator error (38 percent), followed by mechanical failure or breakdown (24 percent) and operational problems with machines (21
Manufacturing Companies
Houston is a populous city and also the largest inland port in the United States. Houston has a diverse economy, with significant manufacturing and energy industries. Here is a list of some of the more well-known Houston-area manufacturers:
| Phillips 66 Conocophillips Pdv America, Inc. Schlumberger Limited Baker Hughes Company Baker Hughes Holdings LLC Westlake Corporation |
Tricon Energy, Inc. Cemex, Inc. Crown Castle International Corp. Nov Inc. Marathon Oil Corporation Citgo Petroleum Corporation Union Carbide Corporation |
Machinery Accidents
With so many people and so much machinery in Houston, accidents are bound to happen.
The first machine accident in Houston was in 1892, when a flour mill collapsed, killing 40 workers. It wasn’t until 1924 that an accident at an oil refinery caused serious injury and death. Since then, there have been numerous other machinery accidents in Houston, causing injuries and even fatalities.
If you’ve been in a machinery accident and have been injured, don’t hesitate to contact a Houston Texas machinery accident lawyer. A qualified lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Here are some recent Houston machine accidents:
| AccidentDate | Employer | City | State | Description | Injury | Body Part | Event | Injury Source | Other Injury Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/11/2021 | Ramco Erectors, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was installing insulation to a new commercial building. The employee fell through a hole in the roof paneling to the concrete ground 25 feet below and suffered facial fractures, a broken left wrist, broken ribs on the left side of their body, and a punctured lung. The employee was not tied off at the time. | Fractures and other injuries, n.e.c. | Multiple body parts | Fall through surface or existing opening 21 to 25 feet | Existing roof openings, other than skylights | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 16/11/2021 | Peak Roofing Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was standing on a work platform and transferring boxes to the level below when he fell approximately 7 feet to the floor. The employee sustained a broken rib and collar bone and a collapsed lung. | Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet | Scaffolds-staging | Floor, n.e.c. |
| 14/11/2021 | Shoe Palace Corporation | Houston | Tx | An employee fell off a ladder while reaching for a shoe. She landed on her back and head and was hospitalized, suffering from a headache and dizziness. | Intracranial injuries | Brain | Other fall to lower level | Ladders | Floor, n.e.c. |
| 12/11/2021 | Builders FirstSource | Houston | Tx | An employee was driving an order picker and turned sharply near a shelving unit. The employee stuck out their arm in reaction and their arm went through a window. The employee was hospitalized for a laceration to their arm including a cut artery. | Cuts, lacerations | Arm(s) | Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | Windows, openings |
| 05/11/2021 | The Kroger Company | Houston | Tx | On November 5, 2021, at approximately 8:30 PM, an employee was operating a reach truck to dispose a scrap walkie-rider into an open-top dumpster. The reach truck was operated on an uneven and damaged surface, with an elevated load, causing it to overturn. The employee's head impacted the concrete surface, resulting in a head contusion and five broken ribs. | Fractures | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 03/11/2021 | The Detering Company | Houston | Tx | An employee was on the second floor of a building, removing temporary doors and replacing them with permanent ones. The employee fell down an elevator shaft, landing about 15 feet below and suffering a broken jaw. | Fractures | Jaw, chin | Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet | Elevator shafts | Floor, n.e.c. |
| 02/11/2021 | Majestic Steel USA, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was attempting to transfer steel material from a re-coiler to a coil cart when the material began to recoil. The employee placed one hand on the material and the other hand on the console in order to prevent the material from uncoiling when their left hand got caught between the steel material and a push plate, resulting in a laceration to their hand. | Cuts, lacerations | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Other material and personnel handling machinery | |
| 02/11/2021 | Anheuser-Busch | Houston | Tx | An employee was walking toward an entrance door. He tripped on the edge of the walkway and fell, suffering a broken left kneecap and right wrist. | Fractures | Upper and lower limb(s) | Fall on same level due to tripping on uneven surface | Sidewalk, path, or outdoor walkway irregularity | |
| 02/11/2021 | The Dufresne Spencer Group LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee's left foot was struck by the guide wheel on the side of an order picker resulting in a laceration and fracture of the big toe. The employee was hospitalized for surgery. | Fractures | Toes(s), toenail(s) | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 30/10/2021 | Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was using a shovel to clean out barricades inside a work zone on a roadway when a vehicle entered the work zone and struck the employee, resulting in three fractured ribs and swelling in the leg. | Fractures | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone | Highway vehicle, motorized | |
| 29/10/2021 | Medtronic, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was unpacking testing equipment. While releasing the bungee hooks, the first cord slipped out of their hand and a metal s-hook hit their left eye. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Eye(s) | Struck by object or equipment | Bungee cords | |
| 29/10/2021 | Night Owls Print Shop, LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee was using a screen printing press to print designs on T-shirts when he was struck by a moving part of the machine. The employee was hospitalized for stomach and back injuries. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Multiple trunk locations | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Presses-printing | |
| 24/10/2021 | Troon Golf, LLC. | Houston | Tx | On October 24, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., an employee performing caddying duties began experiencing cramps due to possible heat stress. The employee was hospitalized. | Effects of heat and light | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat | Heat-environmental | |
| 23/10/2021 | Hyatt Regency Houston West | Houston | Tx | An employee slipped on water and fell to a ballroom floor. He landed on his arm and his shoulder was dislocated. | Dislocation of joints | Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e) | Fall on same level due to slipping | Floor | Water |
| 21/10/2021 | Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC | Houston | Tx | On October 21, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., an employee was inspecting an air conditioner while on a ladder approximately 6 feet from the ground. The employee felt an electrical shock and fell to the concrete ground. The employee was hospitalized. | Electrocutions, electric shocks | BODY SYSTEMS | Direct exposure to electricity | Air conditioning units | |
| 14/10/2021 | Milam & Co. Painting, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was working from an extension ladder to paint under a window, about 10 feet high. The ladder slipped and the employee fell to the ground, suffering lower back, pelvic, and hip injuries. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Multiple trunk locations | Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet | Extension ladders | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 11/10/2021 | National L.S. Inc | Houston | Tx | A temporary employee opened the doors of a trailer containing empty wooden pallets. The pallets fell and struck him on the left shoulder, injuring the shoulder and his lower back. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Shoulder(s) and back | Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part | Skids, pallets | Trailers |
| 07/10/2021 | Crane Worldwide Logistics | Houston | Tx | An employee was using a forklift to extract a pallet from an overhead rack. The truck's forks fell onto the employee. | Traumatic injuries and disorders | Nonclassifiable | Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 01/10/2021 | O'Reilly Auto Parts Distribution Center | Houston | Tx | An employee completed a repair on the conveyor. He then reached under the conveyor and his glove got caught on the conveyor belt, resulting in multiple abrasions to his left hand. | Abrasions, scratches | Hand(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning | Conveyors-belt | Belts, gloves, neckties, scarves |
| 26/09/2021 | Mesa Airlines | Houston | Tx | As an employee was inspecting a plane, he fell 7 feet from a step stand. He was found unconscious and bleeding from his head. | Intracranial injuries | Brain | Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet | Movable ladders | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 24/09/2021 | Third Coast Fresh/Garden Highway (GH Foods) | Houston | Tx | An employee was exiting a warehouse when she lost her footing on a moist floor and fell, striking her back and the back of her head. She was hospitalized. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Head and trunk | Fall on same level due to slipping | Floor | Liquids |
| 23/09/2021 | Texas Stairs and Rails, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was working with sheet metal in the fabrication shop. A piece of sheet metal on a table shifted and rolled onto the employee's right hand amputating the index finger. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Struck by object or equipment | Sheet metal | |
| 19/09/2021 | The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. | Houston | Tx | An employee was replacing a guard on a conveyor drive. The employee suffered a crush/cut to the right thumb. | Cuts, lacerations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects | Conveyors-powered | |
| 16/09/2021 | Weber & Balke Foundation Co Inc. | Houston | Tx | A crane operator hoisted a load, placed it, and lowered it. Two riggers unhooked the rigging, put the empty hooks beside the load, and signaled the operator to hoist the empty hooks. When the operator hoisted the hooks, one hook got hooked onto the load, shifting it and creating a pinch point where the injured employee's leg was positioned. The employee sustained a scrape to the backside of the right calf and a cut on the lower left leg. | Cuts, lacerations | Lower leg(s) | Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment | Cranes | Nonclassifiable |
| 15/09/2021 | International Paper | Houston | Ms | An employee was working on a forklift when another forklift ran over their right foot, crushing it. | Crushing injuries | Foot (feet) | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 15/09/2021 | City Wide Building Services, LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee set up a ladder on a roof against a 12-foot parapet wall to pull up ropes. The ladder slipped on the wet roofing surface and the employee fell from the ladder. The employee sustained six rib fractures and a punctured right lung. | Internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk | Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Other fall to lower level | Movable ladders | Liquids |
| 10/09/2021 | Shawcor Inspections Services | Houston | Tx | An employee was performing inspection services on a pipe that had been placed on two stands. The pipe rolled off the stands and struck the employee's right ring finger, amputating the fingertip. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c. | Pipes, ducts, tubing | Furniture and fixtures |
| 06/09/2021 | H-E-B GROCERY COMPANY | Houston | Tx | An employee was in a trailer, using an electric pallet jack to realign a pallet of product that had shifted during shipment. The employee was caught between a pallet and the jack's handle; the employee suffered a laceration and/or puncture to the lower abdomen. | Open wounds | Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Part of occupant’s body caught between vehicle and other object in nonroadway transport incident | Pallet jack-powered | Skids, pallets |
| 27/08/2021 | Leon's Electric and Plumbing | Houston | Tx | An employee was standing on the side of a trench when he fell into it along with loose soil. The employee suffered a broken leg/foot. | Fractures | Foot(feet) and leg(s) | Other fall to lower level | Ditches, channels, trenches, excavations | Ditches, channels, trenches, excavations |
| 27/08/2021 | Star of Hope Mission | Houston | Tx | An employee fell to the floor while trying to sit down, landing on her left side and suffering injuries to the left hip and knee. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Hip(s) and leg(s) | Fall while sitting | Floor | |
| 24/08/2021 | Yellowstone Landscape, LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee was using a riding mower when it got caught in a tree branch. The employee had to lower the roll-over protection. Its hinge caught his left thumb and amputated the tip. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Struck by powered vehicle-nontransport | Lawn mowers-riding | |
| 23/08/2021 | Ferguson Enterprises, LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee was walking out of a storage area on a warehouse floor when a clamp truck struck him. He suffered a broken pelvis. | Fractures | Hip(s) | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 23/08/2021 | Special Metals, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was taking inventory in a warehouse aisleway. A lift truck struck the employee, who suffered a jaw and neck laceration from a metal part of a storage rack. | Cuts, lacerations | Head and neck | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Forklift, order picker, platform truck-powered | |
| 20/08/2021 | Southwest Airlines | Houston | Tx | An employee fell from the cab of a provisioning truck while dumping trash from the truck. He landed on the ground and suffered broken ribs, collapsed lungs, and spinal fractures. | Fractures and other injuries, n.e.c. | Multiple body parts | Other fall to lower level | Airport utility vehicle-powered | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 19/08/2021 | Flexmaster, U.S.A., Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee was rolling a piece of metal in a rotary machine when their glove got caught on the corner of the piece and the machine partially amputated their left index finger. | Amputations | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | Metal, woodworking, and special material machinery | Belts, gloves, neckties, scarves |
| 18/08/2021 | Ceres Environmental | Houston | Tx | An employee was standing on the top of a grinder when it activated. Its feed wheel roller engaged and pinned the employee to a mill box, crushing the employee's abdomen. | Crushing injuries | Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders | Caught in running equipment or machinery | Machinery | |
| 14/08/2021 | CPC Logistics, Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee had finished unloading a trailer when they began experiencing tingling in their legs and were hospitalized for heat exhaustion. | Heat exhaustion, prostration | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat | Heat-environmental | |
| 13/08/2021 | Tomball Sheet Metal | Houston | Tx | An employee was on a ladder installing HVAC ducting. The employee's back made contact with a wire that was hanging out of an open electrical box. The employee sustained an electric shock, and later had a stroke and was hospitalized. | Electrocutions, electric shocks | BODY SYSTEMS | Direct exposure to electricity | Switchboards, switches, fuses | |
| 10/08/2021 | WILLIAMS BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. | Houston | Tx | An employee was driving a dozer when it went over a 5-foot embankment. A grab bar over the controls struck the employee, who suffered a broken right-side cheekbone and a head contusion. | Fractures | Cheek(s) | Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway | Bulldozers | Embankments |
| 09/08/2021 | Elmington Property Management | Houston | Tx | An employee was moving a heavy piece of furniture when the furniture shifted and dropped onto the employee's leg, resulting in a broken leg. | Fractures | Leg(s) | Struck by falling object or equipment | Furniture | |
| 04/08/2021 | PIPING TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTS INC. | Houston | Tx | An employee was adjusting a reroller machine. The employee's right forearm was pulled into the dies and fractured. The machine was not guarded at the time. | Fractures | Forearm(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery | Rolling mills, rolling, calendering machinery | |
| 31/07/2021 | Dillards | Houston | Tx | An employee was disposing of materials in an outside trash receptacle. The employee fell from the side of the receptacle to the ground about 3 to 4 feet below, landing on his shoulder. | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e) | Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet | Tanks, bins, vats-nonconfined space | Floors, walkways, ground surfaces |
| 30/07/2021 | Sysco Houston - Wholesale Restaurant Food Supplies | Houston | Tx | An employee was unloading food products for a customer when they began feeling lightheaded and disoriented, resulting in hospitalization for dehydration. | Effects of heat and light, n.e.c. | BODY SYSTEMS | Exposure to environmental heat | Heat-environmental | |
| 26/07/2021 | 7 Eleven Inc. | Houston | Tx | An employee noticed a person in front of a store with a handgun, acting erratically. The employee left the store and retrieved a handgun from his personal vehicle. On his way back into the store, he was shot in the back of the head by the person. He suffered paralysis from the neck down. | Gunshot wounds | Head | Shooting by other person-intentional | Assailant, suspect | Pistol, handgun, revolver |
| 24/07/2021 | Texas Western Management Partners LP | Houston | Tx | An employee was working on a large laundry ironer/steamer. His finger got caught in a rotating chain, and his right index fingertip was amputated. | Amputations | Fingertip(s) | Caught in running equipment or machinery | Heating and cooking machinery and appliances | |
| 21/07/2021 | BRITAIN ELECTRIC COMPANY | Houston | Tx | An employee was walking the grounds toward the guard shack and was bitten by an unknown insect (possibly a spider) and suffered severe stinging, discoloration, and swelling in his left ring finger. | Poisoning, toxic, noxious, or allergenic effect | BODY SYSTEMS | Bites and stings | Insects, arachnids, mites | |
| 21/07/2021 | Aramco Services Company | Houston | Tx | An employee was in a guardhouse when an insect stung/bit him. He was hospitalized. | Poisoning, toxic, noxious, or allergenic effect | BODY SYSTEMS | Bites and stings | Insects, arachnids, mites | |
| 20/07/2021 | Randstad Manufacturing & Logistics | Houston | Tx | A temporary employee was in the warehouse standing next to his electric pallet jack and stacking cases of soda onto his pallet when he was struck by another pallet jack, resulting in a fractured left fibula. | Fractures | Lower leg(s) | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | Pallet jack-powered | |
| 17/07/2021 | DOUBLE BARREL DOWN HOLE TECHNOLOGY | Houston | Tx | An employee was working with high pressure oil and sustained a high pressure wound under his left index finger. The employee was hospitalized and had surgery. | Puncture wounds, except gunshot wounds | Finger(s), fingernail(s) | Struck by discharged object or substance | Lubricating greases, cutting oils | |
| 17/07/2021 | Main Lane Industries, LLC | Houston | Tx | An employee was working in a trench excavation. A section of the excavation began to collapse, and the employee's leg was struck and broken by the falling soil as he tried to get out. He was hospitalized. | Fractures | Leg(s) | Excavation or trenching cave-in | Ditches, channels, trenches, excavations | |
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