The most serious nuclear threat in the history of the U.S. came not from the Soviets, but from a single nine-pound wrench socket. Dropped by an airman performing maintenance on a Titan II missile at a launch complex in Damascus, Arkansas, the socket fell 70 feet, ripping a hole in a fuel tank and leading to an explosion that forced a 9-megaton warhead out of the ground. Thankfully, safety features prevented any loss of radioactive spillage or detonation, but the explosion killed one and injured about twenty more. The 1980 Damascus Titan missile explosion is a drastic example of what can result from operating like everything is going to work perfectly every time. In this case, it almost wiped an entire state off the map.

By the time astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper realized her tool bag was improperly tied down, it was too late. "Oh, great,"" she muttered as the tool bag drifted slowly away from her post outside the international space station. Luckily, nobody was hurt, and nothing was damaged—with the exception of her ego and NASA's budget. The embarrassed astronaut subsequently described the $100,000 incident as "very disheartening", adding, "There's still the psychological thing of knowing that we made a mistake and having to live through that. It was hardest coming back in and having to face everybody else."

It was the summer of 2016 when a four-pound bolt fell 100 feet and struck a wind turbine worker, knocking him unconscious and leaving him with a severe head wound. ”Lucky” may not be the first word to come to your mind in this situation, but considering the size of the bolt and the height at which it fell, the 26-year-old worker was fortunate to pull through and live to work another day. "Wind Energy workers are exposed to many hazards that can result in fatalities and serious injuries such as falls, struck by, electrical shocks and crushing injuries. While wind energy is a growing industry, the hazards are not unique and OSHA has many standards that cover these working conditions," said Judy Freeman, OSHA's Area Director in Wichita, following the mishap.