Band Saws
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.
Home Communication & Entertainment · CPSC Code 842
Down 17% over 5 years
The verdict
Band Saws carry a danger score of 34/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,852 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 17% over the last five years.
- 34/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,852
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 55-64
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 842 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for band saws - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,852 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-17%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Band Saws (CPSC product code 842, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 2,852 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 57,033 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 34/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 17% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2009 (3,895 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (1,915 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for band saws is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 36,722 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (6,181 cases). The 55-64 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 9,983 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 4.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how band saws 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 | 81 | 10 | |
| 5-14 | 4,538 | 725 | |
| 15-24 | 8,664 | 1,030 | |
| 25-34 | 4,725 | 312 | |
| 35-44 | 6,829 | 276 | |
| 45-54 | 7,156 | 657 | |
| 55-64 | 9,700 | 283 | |
| 65-74 | 6,907 | 150 | |
| 75+ | 4,845 | 76 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Fracture | |
| Finger | Foreign Body | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
69YOM PRESENTS WITH A LACERATION TO HIS LEFT MIDDLE FINGER AFTER HE WAS USING A BAND SAW. DX: OPEN FRACTURE OF TUFT OF DISTAL PHALANX OF FINGER, FINGER LACERATION
30YOM CUT OFF LEFT POINTER FINGER WITH BAND SAW JUST PRIOR TO ARRIVAL TO ER. DX: COMPLETE TRAUMATIC TRANSPHALANGEAL AMPUTATION LEFT INDEX FINGER
19YOM WITH LACERATION TO RIGHT THUMB, INJURED WHEN WAS CUTTING METAL ON A BAND SAW. DX: LACERATION TO RIGHT THUMB
70 YOM SLIPPED USING A BAND SAW CUT FINGER DX: LAC
71YOM PRSENTS TO ED FOR LACERATION TO DORSUM OF LEFT PINKY. PT GOT SMALL LAC ON FOURTH DIGIT BUT VERY SUPERIFICAL. FROM BAND SAW, USED TO CUT WOOD. DX: LACERATION LEFT LITTLE FINGER W/O FOREIGN BODY W/O DAMAGE TO NAIL. INJURY HAND EXTENSOR TENDON LEFT
46YOM PRESENTED WITH A LACERATION TO HIS 3RD FINGER. STATES HE GOT THIS ON A BAND SAW WHILE CUTTING PIPE. DX: LACERATION TO FINGER
20YOF WAS AT WOODSHOP CLASS AND CAUGHT HER RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER IN A BANDSAW DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER
53YOM BROUGHT IN BYSELF FROM WORK WHERE PATIENT CUT TIP OF FINGER OFF WITH A BAND SAW. PRESENTS FROM URGENT CARE. ACUTE LACERATION OF LEFT INDEX FINGERTIP DX: LACERATION OF LEFT HAND WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY.
52 YOM CUT FINGER USING A BAND SAW. DX FINGER LACERATION
42YOM WAS USING A BAND SAW WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY CUT HIS LEFT THUMB DX: LACERATION FINGER
17YOM,USING BANDSAW IN WORKSHOP INJURED FINGER,DX:FINGER LAC
17YOM PATIENT WAS IN HIS WOODWORKING CLASS AT SCHOOL WHEN HE CUT HIS PINKY WITH A BAND SAW. DX: ACCIDENT CAUSED BY POWERED HAND TOOL. PARTIAL TRAUMATIC AMPUTATION OF LEFT LITTLE FINGER THROUGH PHALANX, OPEN FRACTURE OF HAND, INJURY OF FINGER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I used a Harbor Freight Portable band saw (item 62800) for several typical homeowner's activities including trimming oak flooring, galvanized pipe and metal fence posts. Attempting to cut these materials with the saw led to overheating, rapid deterioration and finally shattering of the included blade. The 14tpi blade that comes with the saw is the subject of a Safety Warning on page 10 of the Owner's Manual because it should only be used for cutting aluminum, plastic and soft wood. However, the optional blade kit purchased with the saw contains only 3 more 14 tpi blades. The heavy duty 24tpi blade recommended for cutting steel in the Safety Information is not available and never has been available according to either my local Harbor Freight store or Customer Service at the main office in Camarillo, CA. Once the 90day warranty period has elapsed, the saw cannot be returned under any circumstance for either refund or for store credit. Harbor Freight (Katrina at Customer Service, Camarillo) disavows any responsibility for injuries due to blade failure because I didn't use the appropriate saw blade.
I was at work putting my tools away after my shift and my portable Makita XBP02 18v band saw 17.10 serial number 47829 has a push lock safety button on it and the trigger on the saw became engaged by another tool and cut off my right hand pinky finger down to the knuckle on the right hand. The newer models of Band saws now have a spring-loaded safety lock not allowing the trigger to work without the button being pushed at all times
The bandsaw has an issue where the blades keep falling off of the rollers. Initially they will eat into the safety blade guard which will then need to be removed and used without since it is damaged. Afterwards the blades will come off the rollers and high speeds and fly off backwards. This saw was used for cutting 1/8" angle iron and was used for 20 minutes at a time for a total of 6 times initially. Now the product is unable to be used as it throws blades after three seconds after turning on the saw. Blades have been thrown about 2 feet at high speed even embedding themselves into drywall 1 foot away from bandsaw.
Failure of switch on Ryobi 10inch bandsaw. Model #BS1001SV, Serial number:Z043511042. The switch failed to being "on" as the default position. Simply pugging saw in causes it to run. This occurs even if the switch is in the off position and the safety key removed. Web searches revel that this switch is used on numerous Ryobi power tools and has had problems in the past. Switch failure to the off or non-energized position would be not be a problem. This failure to the default energized position appears to be a safety hazard.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to band saws on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are band saws?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, band saws have a danger score of 34/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,852 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from band saws?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 36,722 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from band saws increasing or decreasing?
Down 17% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for band saws injuries?
The 55-64 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 9,983 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by band saws?
Of all ER visits involving band saws, approximately 4.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with band saws?
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 Home Communication & Entertainment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 34/100 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 55-64 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.
