Bags, Not Elsewhere Classified
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Containers & Packaging · CPSC Code 1144
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Bags, Not Elsewhere Classified carry a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 43,683 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 41/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 43,683
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1144 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 41/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for bags, not elsewhere classified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume43,683 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-9%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Bags, Not Elsewhere Classified (CPSC product code 1144, in the Containers & Packaging category) generate an estimated 43,683 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 873,665 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 41/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (56,996 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (31,033 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for bags, not elsewhere classified is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 87,655 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the lower trunk (69,084 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 142,765 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 8 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how bags, not elsewhere classified fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 12,622 | 12,502 | |
| 5-14 | 29,703 | 22,207 | |
| 15-24 | 42,471 | 43,846 | |
| 25-34 | 57,564 | 63,895 | |
| 35-44 | 62,920 | 68,212 | |
| 45-54 | 65,358 | 77,407 | |
| 55-64 | 51,995 | 73,346 | |
| 65-74 | 37,019 | 55,245 | |
| 75+ | 34,161 | 63,052 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Nerve Damage |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
35 YOF WAS GETTING BAGS OF GROCERIES OUT OF TRUNK HIT HEAD DX: CONCUSSION
66YOM TRIPPED AND FELL OVER SOME BAGS, HE LANDED ON HIS ELBOW AND HIT HIS SHOULDER. DX: RIGHT SHOULDER INJURY, SHOULDER SPRAIN
68YOF C/O CHEST PAIN. STATES SHE PICKED UP 40 LB SACK OF BIRD SEED A FEW DAYS AGO AND NOW HAS LEFT SHOULDER PAIN THAT GOES DOWN ARM AND SOMETIMES INTO NECK. DX: PAIN IN LEFT SHOULDER, CERVICALGIA
30 YOF REPORTS SHE CARRIES AROUND HER DANCE BAG ON HER LEFT SHOULDER, SHE DRANK ETOH YESTERDAY, AFTER SHE SOBERED UP SHE FELT LEFT SHOULDER PAIN. ETOH= NO LVL DX:SHOULDER SPRAIN
28YOM, IN PD CUSTODY, STATES SWALLOWED BAG OF *** WHEN ARRESTED , NO UDS DX: NO ACUTE PROCESS
65YOM, C/O NECK, LEFT HIP PAIN, FACIAL ABRASIONS AFTER FALL TUESDAY, WALKING TO TRUCK IN PARKING LOT, WIND BLEW A BAG, TRIPPED HIM FELL ON PAVEMENT DX;FALL, ABRASIONS
47YOF WITH SYNCOPE AND FALL ONTO LAUNDRY BAG AT HOME. PT THEN FELL ONTO HER BED . NO INJ NOTED FROM FALL DX; SYNCOPE AND COLLAPSE
71YOM TO ER FOR SCROTAL PAIN AFTER LIFTING A HEAVY BAG AT HOME LAST NITE DX SCROTAL PAIN, SCROTAL SWELLING
84YOM TO ER AFTER FALL AT HOME , PT TRIPPED OVER A STACK OF BAGS & FELL ON O/S ARMS & KNEE, PT HAS ACUTE PAIN RIGHT KNEE & ELBOW ALONG W/ LOW BACK PAIN, NO THINNER USE DX FALL PAIN RIGHT KNEE, PAIN RIGHT ELBOW, LOW BACK PAIN
57YOM,LIFTING A BAG OF CEMENT WITH WIRE STICKING OUT AN INJURED HAND,DX:HAND LAC
76YOM WAS GRABBING GROCERY BAGS FROM HIS TRUNK AND GOT DIZZY AND FELL TO FACE. DX: FOREHEAD ABR; NASAL ABR
22YOM PRESENTED TO ED FOR EVALUATION OF LOW BACK PAIN AFTER LIFTING AND TAKING OUT TRASH BAG. ED DX: ACUTE BILATERAL LOW BACK PAIN WITHOUT SCIATICA
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I recently purchased a Adelina Madelina diaper bag from Babies R Us. It can be found below- http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=23131146 The bag is a plastic feeling black vinyl like backpack. I wore the bag with a tank top so my back was exposed. It was over 100 degrees out that day and extremely dry. After wearing the backpack for some time during the day, I felt my skin getting really hot and burning. I went to take the backpack off and felt a lot of pain. As I pulled it off, my husband noticed that I had two sores on my back from where the bag pulled my skin off. I used ice and Neosporin to heal it.
While biking through a major intersection, windy conditions caused the velcro strap on the drivetrain-side bag of my Blackburn Central Saddle Bag Panniers to detach. Without a secure anchor to the rack, the bag subsequently fell into the spokes of my rear wheel and jammed. After extracting the bag from my wheel and re-securing the straps, this happened a second time within 5 minutes. No injuries were sustained to either myself or my bike, though the bag received a few small holes (smaller than a dime). I use the bags with a [REDACTED] Disc Rack ([REDACTED]), and had securely mounted the bag with all 6 straps prior to the incident.
Today I bought Lansinoh breast milk bags that were an older version that have incorrect storage guidelines. They say that freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the fridge for up to 8 days. Their new bags and the CDC state that freshly expressed breast milk can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Hello, I purchased the Timbuk2 Tandem Panniers on Mar 09, 2017 from REI. I only started using them recently and the velcro straps have rapidly degraded and often don't hold the back anymore. This has been extremely dangerous and even life threatening to others on the road. Despite firmly attaching the velcro the back has come detached while riding uphill on city streets on my bike. This causes the back and contents to fall into oncoming cars and cyclists. The incident of the bag falling into traffic has occurred multiple times so the date here is just one instance. I am reporting the issue as I believe the velcro issue will likely occur for other cyclists as well. It is an unsafe product that should not be sold as-is.
The scented trash bags in our office is giving me asthma, sore throat, headache and ringing in my ears.
Corn-n-Tater Microwave Cooking Bag was placed in a microwave with two potatoes. Owner states that before one minute was up the product caught on fire.
After constructing several bowl cozies using Pellon Wrap and Zap as well as following instructions found on the packaging, I tested one in the microwave. At the minute and 45 second mark, it burst into flames destroying my microwave.
I was shopping on Zulily.com and came upon an item being sold for children called the "Lay-n-Go". There is a video demonstration of this product on the website which I watched. After watching the video I realized that the drawstring cord could be a strangulation hazard. The cord appears to be a closed end cord similar to the cords used on miniblinds which caused the minibind recall several years ago. Also, the cord not only cinches, but also locks, which I believe doubles the hazard. Please, please check this product. If this report saves the life on even one child then it's worth checking into. The website for this product is: www.layngo.com.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to bags, not elsewhere classified on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are bags, not elsewhere classified?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, bags, not elsewhere classified have a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 43,683 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from bags, not elsewhere classified?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 87,655 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from bags, not elsewhere classified increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for bags, not elsewhere classified injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 142,765 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by bags, not elsewhere classified?
Of all ER visits involving bags, not elsewhere classified, approximately 5.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with bags, not elsewhere classified?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Containers & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 41/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 45-54 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
