United Airlines

Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery - Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries - HOUSTON, Texas

HOSPITALIZED, Worker hospitalized after incident at United Airlines in HOUSTON, Texas
Employer United Airlines
Address IAH - George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 3500 North Terminal Road
City, State ZIP HOUSTON, Texas 77032
Report ID 2025054888
Event Date May 23, 2025
Outcome Hospitalized
Nature of Injury Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries
Body Part Multiple trunk locations
Event Type Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery
Source of Injury Airport utility vehicle powered
Secondary Source Vehicle or mobile equipment failure
Industry (NAICS) 488111
GPS Coordinates 29.98414, -95.33299

Location Map

Incident Narrative

An employee turned off a pushback tractor at a gate, put it in neutral, and put the emergency brakes up. The employee then exited the tractor and noticed it was rolling forward toward the aircraft. The right side of his body was wedged between the tractor and the aircraft nose. The employee was hospitalized for fractured ribs and a partially collapsed lung.

Incident Summary

On May 23, 2025, a worker at United Airlines in HOUSTON, Texas suffered multiple severe wounds and internal injuries to the multiple trunk locations. The incident was classified as struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery, with airport utility vehicle powered identified as the source of injury. The worker was hospitalized.

Context

OSHA has recorded 125 severe injury reports involving "Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery" incidents in our database. Browse all Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery injuries.

See all reports for United Airlines.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Workers injured on the job have the right to medical treatment covered by workers' compensation, wage replacement benefits during recovery, and protection against retaliation for reporting the injury. You have the right to file a complaint with OSHA if you believe your workplace is unsafe, and OSHA cannot reveal your identity to your employer without your consent. You also have the right to see your OSHA 300 injury log. If your employer denies a workers' comp claim, you can appeal through your state's workers' compensation board. An occupational health attorney can advise on complex cases involving denied claims or third-party liability.

After an employer reports a severe injury, OSHA decides whether to conduct an on-site inspection. Fatalities and amputations typically trigger automatic inspections. For hospitalizations and eye loss events, OSHA may conduct a phone/fax investigation or an on-site inspection based on the circumstances. During an inspection, OSHA compliance officers assess the accident scene, interview witnesses, review safety records, and identify violations. Citations and penalties may be issued. OSHA also works with the employer to abate hazardous conditions. All inspection results are published in OSHA's public inspection database at osha.gov.

You can file an OSHA complaint online at osha.gov/workers/file-complaint, by calling 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742), or by visiting your local OSHA area office. Complaints can be filed anonymously. OSHA prioritizes formal written complaints from workers. If you believe an imminent danger exists, call OSHA immediately, they are required to investigate immediately when there is reasonable grounds to believe imminent danger exists. Workers are protected from retaliation for filing complaints under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act; if you experience retaliation, file a separate complaint within 30 days of the adverse action.

About This OSHA Report

This is a severe injury report filed with OSHA. Employers are required to report all work-related fatalities and severe injuries within 8 to 24 hours. Browse more reports by employer, state, or industry below.

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