OSHA Conveyor Injury Data: Analysis of 3,455 Report Matches
We searched 105,996 OSHA severe-injury reports and found 3,455 records that matched documented conveyor terms. The clearest pattern was severe contact with running equipment during maintenance, cleaning, and normal operation.
Three Findings Worth Knowing
919 matches were coded by OSHA as caught in running equipment during maintenance or cleaning.
593 matches were coded as caught in running equipment during regular operation.
candidate reports had OSHA’s amputation outcome field marked. This can overlap with hospitalization.
Conveyor-related Report Matches by Year
Annual matches ranged from 286 to 354 in the ten complete years from 2015 through 2024. The 2025 value covers only January through November.
Calculated. *2025 ends November 30. These are raw matches, not rates. Without employment, operating hours, or conveyor exposure, the chart does not show whether risk rose or fell.
Where Severe Events Appeared Most Often
OSHA’s coded event titles place running equipment at the center of the leading categories. Maintenance and cleaning were prominent, but normal production was also represented.
| OSHA event category | Records | Candidate share |
|---|---|---|
| Caught in running equipment during maintenance or cleaning | 919 | 26.6% |
| Caught in running equipment during regular operation | 593 | 17.2% |
| Struck by running equipment during maintenance, cleaning, or testing | 286 | 8.3% |
| Caught in running equipment, unspecified | 218 | 6.3% |
| Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, unspecified | 148 | 4.3% |
| Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment | 139 | 4.0% |
Calculated from OSHA reported fields. Only leading categories are shown. Labels are shortened for readability; the CSV preserves OSHA’s full titles.
Hands and Fingers Dominate the Leading Body-part Codes
OSHA uses separate codes for fingers, fingertips, nails, hands, arms, and forearms. We did not merge them because that would require another published coding rule.
| OSHA body-part code title | Records | Candidate share |
|---|---|---|
| Fingertip(s) | 648 | 18.8% |
| Finger(s), fingernail(s), n.e.c. | 474 | 13.7% |
| Finger(s), fingernail(s), unspecified | 337 | 9.8% |
| Arm(s), unspecified | 173 | 5.0% |
| Hand(s), unspecified | 156 | 4.5% |
| Forearm(s) | 148 | 4.3% |
Calculated from OSHA reported fields. “n.e.c.” means not elsewhere classified. Rows should not be combined without a documented mapping.
How Reliable Is the Search?
We used a fixed-seed random sample of 220 matches for a model-assisted editorial review. It classified 162 as core conveyor incidents and 39 as associated conveyor work. Sixteen were background matches, and three were unclear.
The estimated core share was 73.6%, with a 95% Wilson interval from 67.4% to 79.0%. Core plus associated records represented 91.4%, with an interval from 86.9% to 94.4%.
Method and Data Limits
The script searched Final Narrative, Event Title, Source Title, and Secondary Source Title. Terms included conveyor, the common conveyer spelling, conveyor-belt forms, bucket elevator, and elevator belt. Each OSHA report ID was counted once.
- Source records: 105,996 OSHA reports.
- Unique rule matches: 3,455.
- Data period: January 1, 2015, through November 30, 2025.
- Jurisdiction: federal OSHA only, as stated by OSHA.
- Fatalities: not included in this dashboard.
- Outcome overlap: hospitalization and amputation can appear in one report.
Under 29 CFR 1904.39, employers report an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours. OSHA provides the data through its Severe Injury Report dashboard.
Download the Public Research File
The CSV contains report IDs, event dates, NAICS codes, outcome flags, coded event fields, and matched terms. It excludes employer names, addresses, locations, coordinates, and narratives.
Download the CSVSuggested citation: Hongkun Belting, “OSHA Conveyor Injury Data: Analysis of 3,455 Report Matches,” source data through November 2025.
What This Means for Conveyor Safety
The leading codes reinforce the need to control contact with running equipment. OSHA says moving machine parts can cause crushing, amputation, burns, and blindness. Its machine-guarding guidance states that hazardous machine parts, functions, and processes must be safeguarded.
This report is not a work procedure. Isolation, lockout/tagout, stored-energy control, guarding, access, and restart steps must follow applicable rules, the employer’s program, and equipment instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these 3,455 confirmed conveyor accidents?
No. They are exact search-rule matches. The model-assisted sample estimated that 73.6% were core conveyor incidents.
Does the data cover every U.S. workplace?
No. OSHA says the dashboard covers federal OSHA jurisdiction and excludes State Plan incidents. It also excludes fatalities.
Can the annual counts be treated as a risk trend?
No. The data lack a conveyor-exposure denominator such as operating hours or workers exposed.
Can other websites reuse these findings?
Yes. Quote the findings with clear attribution and a link to this page. Keep the scope and limitations attached to the numbers.
Sources
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