Ohio stats show more than 5,000 worker amputations since 2005

DAYTON, Ohio — Data provided by the state shows that more than 5,000 workers in Ohio have suffered amputation injuries since 2005.

The statistics from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation were analyzed by The Dayton Daily News. They show there have been 5,405 compensation claims for amputation injuries from 2005 to 2012.

Officials say amputation injuries often are not life-threatening and involve workers losing part of their fingertips or thumbs. But some of them are among the most severe and debilitating workplace injuries.

Bill Wilkerson, area director for the Cincinnati office of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, tells the newspaper that unguarded equipment is one of the most common sources of severe physical wounds that result in amputation.