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Consumer Safety / CPSC NEISS / Filed from the ER

What Sent You
to the ER

Every year, about a hundred hospitals log 400,000 emergency-room visits onto a single national chart, then statisticians weight the sample up to an estimated 13.5 million product-related visits nationwide. This is that chart, read end to end: the ordinary consumer products that actually put people on a gurney, the part of the body each one wrecks, who it hurts, and how many years a recall takes to catch up once the injuries start stacking.

~400K ER visits sampled a year ~13.5M estimated product-related ER visits / yr 2005-2024 treatment years Illustrative
I. The Triage Body

Where the injuries land

Every visit records one thing above all: the single most seriously injured body part. Roll those codes up to front-of-body regions, shade each by its share, and the figure the ER sees day after day is unmistakably top-heavy - the head, face and hands take the brunt, because they lead every fall and meet every edge first. Hover any region for its estimate; the ranked key and the table carry the same numbers.

Head & face: 22% of visits (est. 2,970,000) Neck: 3% of visits (est. 405,000) Shoulder & upper arm: 6% of visits (est. 810,000) Shoulder & upper arm: 6% of visits (est. 810,000) Shoulder & upper arm: 6% of visits (est. 810,000) Trunk: 11% of visits (est. 1,485,000) Forearm & wrist: 8% of visits (est. 1,080,000) Forearm & wrist: 8% of visits (est. 1,080,000) Hand & fingers: 17% of visits (est. 2,295,000) Hand & fingers: 17% of visits (est. 2,295,000) Hip & pelvis: 4% of visits (est. 540,000) Knee & thigh: 8% of visits (est. 1,080,000) Knee & thigh: 8% of visits (est. 1,080,000) Lower leg & ankle: 9% of visits (est. 1,215,000) Lower leg & ankle: 9% of visits (est. 1,215,000) Foot & toes: 7% of visits (est. 945,000) Foot & toes: 7% of visits (est. 945,000)
Schematic figure, curator-drawn (not to anatomical scale). Shade encodes each region’s share of product-related ER visits over five quantile classes. Left and right limbs carry one combined figure each.
  1. 01 Head & face 22%
  2. 02 Hand & fingers 17%
  3. 03 Trunk 11%
  4. 04 Lower leg & ankle 9%
  5. 05 Knee & thigh 8%
  6. 06 Forearm & wrist 8%
  7. 07 Foot & toes 7%
  8. 08 Shoulder & upper arm 6%
  9. 09 Hip & pelvis 4%
  10. 10 Neck 3%
Every region, in a table
Region NEISS body parts rolled in Est. visits Sample Share
Head & face Head, Face, Eyeball, Mouth, Ear 2,970,000 87,400 22%
Hand & fingers Finger, Hand, Thumb 2,295,000 67,500 17%
Trunk Upper trunk, Lower trunk, Pubic region 1,485,000 43,700 11%
Lower leg & ankle Lower leg, Ankle 1,215,000 35,700 9%
Knee & thigh Knee, Upper leg 1,080,000 31,800 8%
Forearm & wrist Lower arm, Wrist, Elbow 1,080,000 31,800 8%
Foot & toes Foot, Toe 945,000 27,800 7%
Shoulder & upper arm Shoulder, Upper arm 810,000 23,800 6%
Hip & pelvis Hip, Pubic region 540,000 15,900 4%
Neck Neck 405,000 11,900 3%

Regions sum to roughly nine in ten visits; internal, multiple-part, and other codes make up the remainder and are not drawn. Estimates are NEISS national weighted figures; sample is the unweighted case count.

II. The Leaderboard

What actually sends you in

Ask anyone to name the most dangerous thing in their home and they will reach for the knife drawer or the power tools. The NEISS estimate says otherwise: the winners are the things you stopped noticing years ago - stairs, floors and beds outrank every sport, blade and machine on this list. Bar length is the weighted estimate on a shared scale; the line beneath each names the body region it hits most, its peak age, and its ten-year drift.

  1. 01
    Stairs or steps code 1842
    hits Lower leg & ankle · peak age 65-74 · +6% / 10yr
  2. 02
    Floors or flooring materials code 1807
    hits Head & face · peak age 75+ · +14% / 10yr
  3. 03
    Beds or bedframes code 4076
    hits Head & face · peak age 0-4 · +3% / 10yr
  4. 04
    Exercise equipment code 3277
    hits Trunk · peak age 25-44 · +28% / 10yr
  5. 05
    Bicycles & accessories code 5040
    hits Forearm & wrist · peak age 5-14 · -12% / 10yr
  6. 06
    Chairs code 4074
    hits Head & face · peak age 75+ · +5% / 10yr
  7. 07
    Knives code 464
    hits Hand & fingers · peak age 25-44 · +2% / 10yr
  8. 08
    Doors, other or unspecified code 1878
    hits Hand & fingers · peak age 25-44 · -1% / 10yr
  9. 09
    Tables code 4056
    hits Head & face · peak age 0-4 · -4% / 10yr
  10. 10
    Football code 1211
    hits Head & face · peak age 15-24 · -18% / 10yr
  11. 11
    Trampolines code 1233
    hits Lower leg & ankle · peak age 5-14 · +9% / 10yr
  12. 12
    Basketball code 1205
    hits Lower leg & ankle · peak age 15-24 · -14% / 10yr
All 22 product groups, in a table
# Product group Code Est. visits Sample Top region 10yr
1 Stairs or steps 1842 1,150,000 33,800 Lower leg & ankle +6%
2 Floors or flooring materials 1807 1,030,000 30,300 Head & face +14%
3 Beds or bedframes 4076 780,000 22,900 Head & face +3%
4 Exercise equipment 3277 470,000 13,800 Trunk +28%
5 Bicycles & accessories 5040 430,000 12,600 Forearm & wrist -12%
6 Chairs 4074 400,000 11,800 Head & face +5%
7 Knives 464 360,000 10,600 Hand & fingers +2%
8 Doors, other or unspecified 1878 340,000 10,000 Hand & fingers -1%
9 Tables 4056 320,000 9,400 Head & face -4%
10 Football 1211 305,000 9,000 Head & face -18%
11 Trampolines 1233 300,000 8,800 Lower leg & ankle +9%
12 Basketball 1205 290,000 8,500 Lower leg & ankle -14%
13 Bathtubs or showers 611 280,000 8,200 Head & face +7%
14 Soccer 1267 230,000 6,800 Lower leg & ankle -6%
15 Nails, screws, tacks & bolts 1894 225,000 6,600 Hand & fingers +4%
16 Playground equipment 3219 215,000 6,300 Forearm & wrist -9%
17 Ladders 424 190,000 5,600 Trunk +2%
18 Sofas, couches & davenports 4038 155,000 4,600 Head & face +1%
19 Skateboards 1333 130,000 3,800 Forearm & wrist +11%
20 Televisions 572 120,000 3,500 Head & face -22%
21 Bleach & household cleaning agents 949 110,000 3,200 Head & face +3%
22 All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) 3285 100,000 2,900 Head & face -8%
III. The Diagnosis

What the injury actually is

Strip away the product and the body part, and every visit still resolves to one clinical word. The commonest is the least dramatic: a laceration - a cut - tops the chart, running about 2.0 to 1 against a fracture. Cuts, bruises and sprains together account for roughly 61% of everything the ER logs.

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Laceration Laceration: 24.5% of visits (est. 3,308,000); most often a Hand & fingers injury 24.5% Contusion or abrasion Contusion or abrasion: 19.5% of visits (est. 2,633,000); most often a Head & face injury 19.5% Strain or sprain Strain or sprain: 16.5% of visits (est. 2,228,000); most often a Lower leg & ankle injury 16.5% Fracture Fracture: 12.0% of visits (est. 1,620,000); most often a Forearm & wrist injury 12.0% Internal injury Internal injury: 8.5% of visits (est. 1,148,000); most often a Head & face injury 8.5% Other or not stated Other or not stated: 7.0% of visits (est. 945,000); most often a Trunk injury 7.0% Puncture Puncture: 4.0% of visits (est. 540,000); most often a Hand & fingers injury 4.0% Foreign body Foreign body: 3.0% of visits (est. 405,000); most often a Head & face injury 3.0% Dislocation Dislocation: 2.5% of visits (est. 338,000); most often a Shoulder & upper arm injury 2.5% Burn (thermal or chemical) Burn (thermal or chemical): 1.5% of visits (est. 203,000); most often a Hand & fingers injury 1.5% Poisoning or ingestion Poisoning or ingestion: 1.0% of visits (est. 135,000); most often a Head & face injury 1.0%
Share of estimated product-related ER visits by diagnosis group. One hue, ranked; length is the share. Each visit codes its single most severe diagnosis, so the groups are exclusive and sum to the whole. Names sit in the table below on narrow screens.
Every diagnosis, in a table
Diagnosis Est. visits Sample Share Most often lands on
Laceration 3,308,000 97,300 24.5% Hand & fingers
Contusion or abrasion 2,633,000 77,400 19.5% Head & face
Strain or sprain 2,228,000 65,500 16.5% Lower leg & ankle
Fracture 1,620,000 47,600 12.0% Forearm & wrist
Internal injury 1,148,000 33,700 8.5% Head & face
Other or not stated 945,000 27,800 7.0% Trunk
Puncture 540,000 15,900 4.0% Hand & fingers
Foreign body 405,000 11,900 3.0% Head & face
Dislocation 338,000 9,900 2.5% Shoulder & upper arm
Burn (thermal or chemical) 203,000 6,000 1.5% Hand & fingers
Poisoning or ingestion 135,000 4,000 1.0% Head & face
IV. Twenty Years

A plateau, then a cliff

For a decade and a half the count barely moved: product-related ER visits sat near 14 million a year, as steady as the furniture causing them. Then 2020 punched a 22% hole in a single year - not because the hazards eased, but because people stayed out of emergency rooms - before the line climbed most of the way back. Read it as a record of who walked in, not of how many got hurt.

0.0M 5.0M 10.0M 15.0M 2005: est. 13,850,000 (407,000 sampled) 2006: est. 14,020,000 (412,000 sampled) 2007: est. 14,180,000 (417,000 sampled) 2008: est. 14,060,000 (413,000 sampled) 2009: est. 13,920,000 (409,000 sampled) 2010: est. 14,110,000 (415,000 sampled) 2011: est. 14,260,000 (419,000 sampled) 2012: est. 14,330,000 (421,000 sampled) 2013: est. 14,250,000 (419,000 sampled) 2014: est. 14,180,000 (417,000 sampled) 2015: est. 14,210,000 (418,000 sampled) 2016: est. 14,290,000 (420,000 sampled) 2017: est. 14,330,000 (421,000 sampled) 2018: est. 14,210,000 (418,000 sampled) 2019: est. 14,260,000 (419,000 sampled) 2020: est. 11,180,000 (329,000 sampled) 2021: est. 12,760,000 (375,000 sampled) 2022: est. 13,390,000 (394,000 sampled) 2023: est. 13,580,000 (399,000 sampled) 2024: est. 13,500,000 (397,000 sampled) 2020: 11.2M 20052010201520202024
14.3M 2019 pre-pandemic plateau
-22% 2019 to 2020 collapse
13.5M 2024 latest
Every year, in a table
YearEst. visitsSample
2005 13,850,000 407,000
2006 14,020,000 412,000
2007 14,180,000 417,000
2008 14,060,000 413,000
2009 13,920,000 409,000
2010 14,110,000 415,000
2011 14,260,000 419,000
2012 14,330,000 421,000
2013 14,250,000 419,000
2014 14,180,000 417,000
2015 14,210,000 418,000
2016 14,290,000 420,000
2017 14,330,000 421,000
2018 14,210,000 418,000
2019 14,260,000 419,000
2020 11,180,000 329,000
2021 12,760,000 375,000
2022 13,390,000 394,000
2023 13,580,000 399,000
2024 13,500,000 397,000
V. By Age

The volume lies, the rate tells

Count the visits and mid-life looks worst - 25-44 tops the raw tally, because that is simply where the people and the exposure are. Divide by population and the picture inverts into a U: a toddler or an over-75 turns up in the ER about 2.9 times as often for their numbers as someone in their thirties. Same data, opposite headline - which is why both panels are here.

Total ER visits raw volume - peaks in the middle
0-4: est. 1,620,000 visits 0-4 5-14: est. 2,430,000 visits 5-14 15-24: est. 2,160,000 visits 15-24 25-44: est. 2,700,000 visits 25-44 2.7M 45-64: est. 2,295,000 visits 45-64 65-74: est. 1,080,000 visits 65-74 75+: est. 1,215,000 visits 75+
Rate per 100,000 per-capita risk - a U across the ages
0-4: 8,760 per 100k 0-4 8.8k 5-14: 5,930 per 100k 5-14 15-24: 5,020 per 100k 15-24 25-44: 3,030 per 100k 25-44 45-64: 2,760 per 100k 45-64 65-74: 3,270 per 100k 65-74 75+: 5,060 per 100k 75+ 5.1k
total estimated visits rate per 100,000 residents
Age bands, in a table
AgeEst. visitsRate / 100kLeading product
0-4 1,620,000 8,760 Beds or bedframes
5-14 2,430,000 5,930 Football & sport
15-24 2,160,000 5,020 Basketball & sport
25-44 2,700,000 3,030 Stairs or steps
45-64 2,295,000 2,760 Stairs or steps
65-74 1,080,000 3,270 Stairs or steps
75+ 1,215,000 5,060 Floors or flooring

Rate = estimated visits per 100,000 US residents in the band (census denominators). Volume and rate disagree by design; both panels use their own scale, so neither reading hides the other. The leading product per band is printed in the last column.

VI. The Age Skew

Whose injury is it

The same product hurts different people. Plot each by the share of its visits that are children against the share that are older adults, and the household splits three ways: playthings like playground equipment that only ever hurt kids (bottom right), the fixtures like floors or flooring materials that mostly fell the old (top left), and the everyday tools clustered low-left that hurt whoever is holding them. Bubble size is the yearly estimate.

0% 20% 40% 60% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Share of visits that are children (under 15) → Share that are older adults (65+) → Stairs or steps: 16% children, 30% older adults; est. 1,150,000 visits, hits Lower leg & ankle Floors or flooring materials: 12% children, 41% older adults; est. 1,030,000 visits, hits Head & face Beds or bedframes: 34% children, 22% older adults; est. 780,000 visits, hits Head & face Exercise equipment: 10% children, 11% older adults; est. 470,000 visits, hits Trunk Bicycles & accessories: 31% children, 7% older adults; est. 430,000 visits, hits Forearm & wrist Chairs: 20% children, 27% older adults; est. 400,000 visits, hits Head & face Knives: 9% children, 10% older adults; est. 360,000 visits, hits Hand & fingers Doors, other or unspecified: 22% children, 9% older adults; est. 340,000 visits, hits Hand & fingers Tables: 36% children, 12% older adults; est. 320,000 visits, hits Head & face Football: 38% children, 1% older adults; est. 305,000 visits, hits Head & face Trampolines: 62% children, 1% older adults; est. 300,000 visits, hits Lower leg & ankle Basketball: 29% children, 2% older adults; est. 290,000 visits, hits Lower leg & ankle Bathtubs or showers: 14% children, 33% older adults; est. 280,000 visits, hits Head & face Soccer: 34% children, 1% older adults; est. 230,000 visits, hits Lower leg & ankle Nails, screws, tacks & bolts: 8% children, 9% older adults; est. 225,000 visits, hits Hand & fingers Playground equipment: 70% children, 1% older adults; est. 215,000 visits, hits Forearm & wrist Ladders: 3% children, 19% older adults; est. 190,000 visits, hits Trunk Sofas, couches & davenports: 33% children, 16% older adults; est. 155,000 visits, hits Head & face Skateboards: 33% children, 1% older adults; est. 130,000 visits, hits Forearm & wrist Televisions: 48% children, 8% older adults; est. 120,000 visits, hits Head & face Bleach & household cleaning agents: 41% children, 12% older adults; est. 110,000 visits, hits Head & face All-terrain vehicles (ATVs): 24% children, 6% older adults; est. 100,000 visits, hits Head & face Stairs or stepsFloors or flooring materialsBeds or bedframesKnivesTrampolinesBathtubsPlayground equipmentTelevisions
Each bubble is one product group; horizontal position is its child share, vertical is its older-adult share, area is the yearly estimate. A handful are labeled to anchor the reading; every product carries a hover title, and the table below lists all 22.
Age skew for all 22 products, in a table
Product group Child share Older share Est. visits Peak age
Playground equipment 70% 1% 215,000 5-14
Trampolines 62% 1% 300,000 5-14
Televisions 48% 8% 120,000 0-4
Bleach & household cleaning agents 41% 12% 110,000 0-4
Football 38% 1% 305,000 15-24
Tables 36% 12% 320,000 0-4
Beds or bedframes 34% 22% 780,000 0-4
Soccer 34% 1% 230,000 15-24
Sofas, couches & davenports 33% 16% 155,000 0-4
Skateboards 33% 1% 130,000 15-24
Bicycles & accessories 31% 7% 430,000 5-14
Basketball 29% 2% 290,000 15-24
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) 24% 6% 100,000 15-24
Doors, other or unspecified 22% 9% 340,000 25-44
Chairs 20% 27% 400,000 75+
Stairs or steps 16% 30% 1,150,000 65-74
Bathtubs or showers 14% 33% 280,000 75+
Floors or flooring materials 12% 41% 1,030,000 75+
Exercise equipment 10% 11% 470,000 25-44
Knives 9% 10% 360,000 25-44
Nails, screws, tacks & bolts 8% 9% 225,000 25-44
Ladders 3% 19% 190,000 45-64

Line up any two products

A no-JavaScript compare tool: pick any two consumer products and read their ER estimates, body region, age skew, and ten-year trend side by side.

Open the compare tool →
VII. Triage

Treated, released, or admitted

An ER visit is not a catastrophe. About 92% of product-injury visits are patched up and sent home the same day. But roughly 1 in 15 ends in the serious tail - admitted, transferred, held for observation, or worse. At true scale that tail is a sliver; magnified, it is the whole reason a recall ever gets written.

0%25%50%75%100% Treated & released: 92.1% (est. 12,435,000) Treated & admitted: 4.1% (est. 553,000) Treated & transferred: 1.4% (est. 189,000) Held for observation: 1.2% (est. 162,000) Left against advice: 1.1% (est. 149,000) Died in the ED / DOA: 0.1% (est. 13,500) Treated & released · 92.1% the serious tail, magnified below
  • Treated & admitted 4.1% 553,000
  • Treated & transferred 1.4% 189,000
  • Held for observation 1.2% 162,000
  • Left against advice 1.1% 149,000
  • Died in the ED / DOA 0.1% 13,500

The stacked bar is at true scale, so the tail is barely a sliver; the list magnifies it against its own maximum. Severe outcomes (admitted, transferred, held, died) carry the injury rule and the signal fill. The remaining 7.9% off the released segment is the whole tail. Estimates are NEISS national weighted figures for a recent year.

VIII. The Clock

How long a recall takes

The injuries in the ER are the early warning. The recall is the response - and it can trail the first reported incident by years. Each line runs from the earliest known incident to the day the recall was finally issued. The longer the line, the longer a known hazard stayed on shelves.

5.2 yrs average lag from first incident to recall, across these 10
2006 2007 2010 2013 2016 2019 2022 Padded crib bumpers Padded crib bumpers: first incident 2006 Padded crib bumpers: recalled 2022 (16.0 yrs after first incident) 16.0 yrs Corded window blinds Corded window blinds: first incident 2009 Corded window blinds: recalled 2018 (9.0 yrs after first incident) 9.0 yrs Portable generators Portable generators: first incident 2013 Portable generators: recalled 2020 (7.0 yrs after first incident) 7.0 yrs High-powered magnet sets High-powered magnet sets: first incident 2009 High-powered magnet sets: recalled 2014 (5.0 yrs after first incident) 5.0 yrs Inclined infant sleepers Inclined infant sleepers: first incident 2015 Inclined infant sleepers: recalled 2019 (4.0 yrs after first incident) 4.0 yrs Youth recliners Youth recliners: first incident 2018 Youth recliners: recalled 2022 (4.0 yrs after first incident) 4.0 yrs Pressure cookers Multi-cooker / pressure cooker: first incident 2017 Multi-cooker / pressure cooker: recalled 2020 (3.0 yrs after first incident) 3.0 yrs Dressers & chests Clothing storage chests & dressers: first incident 2014 Clothing storage chests & dressers: recalled 2016 (2.0 yrs after first incident) 2.0 yrs Connected treadmill Connected treadmill (rear-entry): first incident 2020 Connected treadmill (rear-entry): recalled 2021 (12 mo after first incident) 12 mo Hoverboards Self-balancing scooters: first incident 2015 Self-balancing scooters: recalled 2016 (9 mo after first incident) 9 mo
first reported incident recall issued Names sit in the table below on narrow screens.
Every recall, with hazard and units, in a table
Product Hazard First Recall Lag Incidents Units
Padded crib bumpers Suffocation against the padding 2006 2022 16.0 yrs 113 n/a
Corded window blinds Strangulation on the cord 2009 2018 9.0 yrs 300 n/a
Portable generators Carbon-monoxide poisoning 2013 2020 7.0 yrs 47 1.1M
High-powered magnet sets Intestinal injury if swallowed 2009 2014 5.0 yrs 1,700 3.4M
Inclined infant sleepers Suffocation while sleeping 2015 2019 4.0 yrs 73 4.7M
Youth recliners Entrapment in the reclining mechanism 2018 2022 4.0 yrs 8 85K
Multi-cooker / pressure cooker Burns from lid released under pressure 2017 2020 3.0 yrs 119 930K
Clothing storage chests & dressers Tip-over crushing a child 2014 2016 2.0 yrs 82 29M
Connected treadmill (rear-entry) Child entrapment under the belt 2020 2021 12 mo 72 125K
Self-balancing scooters Battery fire 2015 2016 9 mo 99 500K

Separate feed Recalls are a SEPARATE CPSC feed from the NEISS ER sample: the CPSC Recalls database (cpsc.gov/Recalls, RSS + api.cpsc.gov). The rows here are illustrative reconstructions to shape the reading of recall timing; they are NOT a verified export. Swap them for a real recalls pull at the swap-point in HANDOFF.md.

IX. Notes on the Data

Methodology

The figures on this page are shaped from CPSC NEISS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System) (Illustrative, shaped to 2024-vintage NEISS product injuries). NEISS is a national probability sample of emergency-department visits: about a hundred hospitals report every product-related injury they treat, roughly 400,000 cases a year. Each case carries a sample weight; summing those weights scales the sample up to a national estimate. Throughout, the raw case count is the sample and the weighted figure is the estimate - both are shown so neither hides the other.

What is real, what is a stand-in

Everything here is currently illustrative: the numbers are representative stand-ins built to match the real shape of NEISS product injuries, not a live export. That holds for every reading on the page - the body map, the product leaderboard, the diagnosis ranking, the twenty-year trend, the age skew, the triage split and the recall clock alike. Each is shaped to the true structure of the source (the household-fixture leaderboard, the head-and-hand body skew, the cut-over-fracture diagnosis mix, the 2020 collapse, the U-shaped age risk, the thin severe tail) but none is a counted figure yet. The page is badged Illustrative, and every number - including the NEISS product codes - awaits confirmation against a real ingest at the documented swap-point (see the repo’s HANDOFF.md). We never present these as real counts. The build is wired so that dropping the real NEISS tab-delimited file into data/raw/ regenerates the same shapes and flips the badge to Full, with the components unchanged.

Why there is no map

NEISS samples about a hundred hospitals to represent the whole country. It is not designed for state or county estimates, and the public-use file carries no state field. A US choropleth would invent geography the data cannot support. So the signature reading is a map of the body instead - the injured body part is a real NEISS variable - and the numbers are reported for the nation, never a state.

Recalls are a different feed

The recall-timing section does not come from NEISS at all. Recalls live in a separate CPSC system (the recalls database at cpsc.gov/Recalls and api.cpsc.gov). Those rows are illustrative reconstructions to shape the reading of how long a recall can lag the first reported incident; they have their own swap-point in HANDOFF.md.

What you are not seeing

NEISS counts ER visits, not injuries: someone treated at urgent care, a clinic, or not at all never appears, and a person who visits twice counts twice. It records the product present, not proven fault - a knife in the narrative is not a defective knife. Deaths are largely those that occur in or on the way to the ER, so this undercounts fatal outcomes. And a product that hurts many people mildly can outrank one that hurts few people gravely; read the triage split and the recall clock alongside the leaderboard, not instead of it.

Generated 2026-07-06 00:00 UTC. Source: CPSC NEISS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System). Maturity: illustrative.