CPSC NEISS · code 5016

Balls, Other Or Not Specified

Balls, Other Or Not Specified: danger rank #256 of 838 is not ER-volume rank #142 of 838 (20,958 estimated ER visits a year; roughly flat over the last five years).

Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment CPSC NEISS through 2024

Danger score versus ER volume

Danger score versus ER volume

According to CPSC NEISS 2009-2024, Balls, Other Or Not Specified ranks #256 of 838 by danger score (38/100) at ER-volume #142 of 838 (20,958/yr). They are not the same ranking.

#256
danger rank of 838
#142
ER-volume rank of 838
38/100
danger score
20,958/yr
estimated ER visits (avg)

Danger score combines injury volume, hospitalization, fatality, and five-year trend. ER volume is the average annual NEISS estimate alone. Rank 1 is highest on each list.

Where this category's danger score sits nationally

Danger score (38/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories

38 Around the middle lower than 30% of 838 product categories

scored CPSC product categories, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more product categories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CPSC NEISS, PlainSafety danger-score model · 2024

Composite verdict

Composite Safety Score: 55/100

One verdict blending 4 independently-sourced dimensions from two separate CPSC systems, each benchmarked against all 838 scored product categories by percentile rather than raw value, so no single huge-volume category can dominate the scale.

C
Dimension Value National percentile Weight applied Source
Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) 3 26th 35% CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index
Annual ER injury volume 20,958 82nd 30% CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries
5-year injury trend -8% 54th 15% CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries
Consumer incident reports 39 67th 20% CPSC SaferProducts.gov public incident report count

Methodology: each dimension is ranked against the full population's p10/p25/p50/p75/p90 breakpoints and interpolated to a 0-100 percentile; the composite is the weighted average of available percentiles. See methodology for the full benchmark table.

Where 335,407 estimated ER injuries land on the body

Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 5016. Segments sum to 335,407 - a body-map mix, not a danger score or ER-volume rank.

Two danger lenses

Same-group peer scores and this product's dial

The bars compare PlainSafety danger scores inside the Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment group (same CPSC NEISS extract). The dial is this product's score alone on the Low/Moderate/High bands. Do not read a peer bar as an ER-visit count.

Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment danger scores

1. Utility Vehicles51/1002. Bicycles And Accessories,…49/1003. Two-wheeled, Powered, Off…48/1004. Mountain Or All-terrain B…47/1005. Power-assisted Cycles, No…44/1006. Scooters, Powered44/1007. Snowboarding (activity, A…43/1008. Balls, Other Or Not Speci…38/100
Higher score = higher composite danger in this group. Peer set is other scored products sharing the same CPSC group.
0/100100/10038/100
PlainSafety danger score · Balls, Other Or Not Specified

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 38/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for balls, other or not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume 20,958 ER visits/yr High volume
  • Severity (hospitalization rate) 3.2% Below median admission rate
  • Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
  • 5-year trend-8%

Band labels compare this category against the corpus of 838 scored CPSC product categories, see the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Across the 16-year NEISS window from 2009 to 2024, injury counts for balls, other or not specified are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (26,607 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2009 (10,251 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 25,945 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (16,765 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 166,305 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 39 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how balls, other or not specified 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 (2009–2024)

5K10K15K20K25K30K 200920112013201520172019202120232024 27K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Balls, Other Or Not Specified, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 48,719 26,900 75,619
5-14 102,206 63,995 166,305
15-24 18,299 14,500 32,799
25-34 8,643 8,127 16,770
35-44 8,193 5,523 13,716
45-54 4,631 5,530 10,161
55-64 3,298 5,032 8,330
65-74 2,967 2,997 5,964
75+ 2,081 3,587 5,668

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Head Internal Injury 25,945
Face Laceration 16,765
Finger Fracture 15,302
Internal Ingestion 14,411
Ear Foreign Body 11,990
Face Foreign Body 11,085
Ankle Strain, Sprain 10,930
Finger Strain, Sprain 10,687
Face Contusions, Abr. 8,419
Head Concussion 7,843
Head Laceration 7,366
Mouth Laceration 6,437
Lower Arm Fracture 5,364
Shoulder Strain, Sprain 5,014
Finger Other 5,001

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 95.0% (318,662)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 2.1% (6,930)
Left Without Being Seen 1.6% (5,450)
Treated And Transferred 1.1% (3,532)
Held For Observation 0.2% (826)
Fatality Incl. Doa, Died In Er 0.0% (7)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 3 · Male · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

3YOM WAS PLAYING WITH SOME TOY CARS WHEN ANOTHER CHILD AT SHELTER THREW A HEAVY BALL AT PT THAT CAUSED H IM EO FALL AND HIT HEAD, PT HAD LOCK, AGITATED WHEN HE WOKE UP, DX HEAD INJURY

Age 15 · Male · Eyeball · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

15YOM WAS AT SCHOOL AND ACCIDENTALLY HIT IN THE RIGHT EYE WITH A BALL DX: CONTUSION TO EYE

Age 4 · Male · Lower Leg · Fracture · 2024

4YOM WAS PLAYING BALL IN THE HOSUE AND BROTHER FELL ONTO RIGHT LWOER LEG DX: FRACTURED LOWER LEG

Age 51 · Female · Head · Other · 2024

51YOF TO ER FOR POST FALL 2 DAYS HEAD INJURY, PT SAYS WAS DRINKING 2 DAYS ( NO BAL) AGO & TRIPPED ON A BALL & FELL HIT HEAD 12/31/23, NO LOC AT THE TIME, HAS HAD HEADACHE SINCE, PAIN TO RIGHT SHOULDER FROM FALL ALSO DX FALL, HEADACHE, PAIN RIGHT SHOULDER

Age 12 · Male · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

12YOM PRESENTS AFTER SWALLOWING A SMALL METAL BALL. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN STOMACH

Age 47 · Female · Ankle · Strain, Sprain · 2024

47YOF, PLAYING BALL WITH HER 60LB PUPPY WHICH RAN INTO HER LEG RESULTING IN HYPERPRONATION OF LEFT ANKLE, DX: SPRAIN OF LEFT ANKLE

Age 7 · Female · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

7YOF SWALLOWED A SMALL RED BALL DX FOREIGN BODY INGESTION

Age 30 · Male · Finger · Laceration · 2024

30YOM, WENT TO PICK UP A BALL DIDN'T SEE A PIECE OF GLASS AND GOT HIS FINGER ON IT, DX: LACERATION OF LEFT LITTLE FINGER

Age 12 · Female · Head · Concussion · 2024

12 YOF C/O CONCUSSION AND SHOULDER PAIN S/P RECENTLY PLAYING AT SCHOOL AND WAS ACCIDENTALLY HIT WITH A BALL. DX: CONCUSSION; SHOULDER PAIN

Age 9 · Female · Finger · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

9YOF WAS INJURED IN AN UNSPECIFIED INCIDENT INVOLVING A BALL DX: CONTUSION OF FINGER *

Age 4 · Female · Internal · Ingestion · 2024

4 YOF PRESENTS WITH DRY HEAVES S/P PLAYING WITH A *** BALL THAT BROKE WHILE IN PATIENT'S HANDS AND INTO HER MOUTH AND SHE SWALLOWED SOME OF ITS CONTENTS. DX: INGESTION OF NONTOXIC SUBSTANCE, ACCIDENTAL OR UNINTENTIONAL

Age 17 · Male · Knee · Dislocation · 2024

17YOM KICKED A BALL AT SCHOOL AND DISLOCATED LEG. DX: LEFT PATELLA DISLOCATION

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/3/2024 · Incident, No Injury · GREENBRIER INTERNATIONAL · Missouri

I bought a pink & purple stretch ball at Dollar Tree. It burst and white foam got all over my 18 month old. I do not know if there is chemicals inside that ball.

9/16/2011 · Incident, No Injury · Ball, Bounce and Sport, Inc. · Florida

I purchased a play ball for my grandchild and set it in the guest room until she arrives. It exploded and went in two directions while no one was in the room. This is not safe for a child's toy! Manufacturer was HEDSTROM (800) 765-9665 Imprint on the ball included numbers 54-3303W and A 0201 It was purchased at Walmart Bar Code is 3314903303

9/14/2011 · Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received · JA-RU INC · Texas

I, [REDACTED], was playing with the "egg" version of the Splat Ball manufactured by Ja-Ru Inc. and the ball burst dowsing my left eye. The excrusiating pain forced me to ripo my shirt off in hope of whiping the solution out of my eye. Luckily the was an RN at the event I was attending, who had a syrenge and some Saline solution which she flushed and whiped the disgusting scented gel/formula from my eye as it balled like when water hits oil! I cannot believe this is a children's toy. I have since learned of the insane list of chemicals in this product: water, white oil, glycerol, sebs, phenoxyethanol diazolidinyl urea, bronopol, color sodium laureth sulphate. Sounds more like a list of chemicals for heavy duty cleaner which would have plenty of warning on the label. This toy only has one choking hazard warning and no way to contact the company who produced it. I don't know about any of the other cases on this site or if there are anymore who would like to join me in a lawsuit upon this company because I have have lost thousands in the past week I have spent at home on the couch in pain from the abrasions to my eye. Feel free to contact me via email [REDACTED].

8/19/2022 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · Pingjiang County Saidal Trading Company · Oregon

My daughter was playing with a sensory ball purchased off of Amazon and exploded a gel all over her causing a rash and staining clothes and carpeting in our home .

8/12/2015 · Incident, No Injury · VTech Electronics NA, LLC · Kansas

My almost 2 year old was playing with her vtech move and crawl ball that she has had for over a year now. She had her ball and was walking around the house and she walked into the kitchen. I heard a pop so I went in to see what had happened and a chunk was missing from the ball and wires were exposed from the internal motor of the ball. It was still moving, making noise, and lighting up. I checked it, and it appears that when she dropped it, one of the animals that you can push popped out and exposed the wiring mechanism for the ball. I was shocked that it did this. I don't think that an infant toy should have wires that are so easily exposed. When I called vtech, they didn't seem concerned in the least bit about exposed wires in an infant toy.

7/5/2022 · Incident, No Injury · Jinjiang Zhande Trading Co., Ltd · Illinois

My 8 month old son was playing with a plastic sensory ball and a piece of plastic became dislodged in his mouth

7/29/2011 · Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received · JA-RU INC · Pennsylvania

Today about 11:30 AM i along with my son and his counsler went to Dolor General Store, and bought a toy called splat ball from their for 1.00 USD. when we got home he proceded to play with the Ball and when doing so it open up, and the chemical that was in the ball got all over him and his counsler. he cleaned himself off and after a few hours noticed that he had red Bloches all over him and when examining him closer niticed they where blisters. every where is was exposted to the chemical. i am now heading to the ER to get the area cleaned. if you have any questions please call [REDACTED]. Ask for me [REDACTED]

7/14/2011 · Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received · JA-RU INC · Georgia

My mother-n-law and 5 year old daughter went to a local dollar general store in soperton georgia, where my daughter got a splatball that looks like a tomato. The ball was purchased on July 6th 2011 and she didnt really play that much with it until the day after and then that following friday around 730pm she was lying on the bed watching her DVD and she had the splatball in her right hand sqeezing it when all of a sudden it busted. I heard it and then she screamed the loudest scream i had ever heard. My daughter started crying and telling me how bad it was burning and hurting, so i put her in the tub and started flushing her eyes. I done this for about 10 minutes and then when i got her out i started making sure she could see me and she could but still crying and saying that her eyes were still burning and the right eye was hurting bad. My husband and i sat with her for about 10 minutes and tried to see if the redness and pain would ease up but we both decided to take her on to the local ER. we didnt want to take any chances with her eye sight so that is when we loaded up. After being seen at the ER and released the doctor said that she had conjunctivitis due to chemical exposure. We were sent home with oinment and told to follow up with local eye doctor if pain or redness continued. The next day her eyes especially the right one was so full of infection that it was unreal. needlesss to say i tried to contact the store where it was purchased to find a contact number for the company where they purchased it from but never got a response from them so i went straight to the local news station WTOC channel out of savannah georgia and told my story. I hope that people all around the world will watch and help in getting this removed from the shelves and any other dangerous products that our kids do not need. i havent had any luck in finding out the ingredients but am still persuing it an will not stop until this product has been done away with.

Showing 8 of 39 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to balls, other or not specified on the CPSC website.

Compare beyond Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment

Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization

Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Balls, Other Or Not Specified: cross-group products nearest on danger score (38/100), estimated annual ER visits (20,958/yr), and hospitalization share (3.2%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.

Read with this product

About this data

CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports form the basis of this page. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments.

According to PlainSafety's CPSC NEISS corpus ranking, Balls, Other Or Not Specified ranks #256 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #142 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does balls, other or not specified rank on danger score versus ER volume?

Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, balls, other or not specified ranks #256 by PlainSafety danger score (38/100) and #142 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (20,958/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.

What are the most common injuries from balls, other or not specified?

The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 25,945 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from balls, other or not specified increasing or decreasing?

Stable over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for balls, other or not specified injuries?

The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 166,305 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by balls, other or not specified?

Of all ER visits involving balls, other or not specified, approximately 3.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with balls, other or not specified?

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.

Data on Balls, Other Or Not Specified is compiled directly from CPSC NEISS and SaferProducts.gov records, current through 2024. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.

PlainSafety is rendered directly from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall and incident records, no number is typed in by an editor. Product recall timelines and hazard labels are drawn from CPSC recall records for this product. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.