Battery Chargers/adapters
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 883
Up 108% over 5 years
The verdict
Battery Chargers/adapters carry a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 1,667 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 108% over the last five years.
- 41/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 1,667
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 883 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 41/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for battery chargers/adapters - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,667 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.5%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+108%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Battery Chargers/adapters (CPSC product code 883, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 1,667 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 33,344 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 rising by about 108% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (5,180 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (73 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for battery chargers/adapters is electric shock to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,214 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (2,690 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 5,745 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 4.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 580 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how battery chargers/adapters 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 | 2,876 | 1,838 | |
| 5-14 | 2,973 | 2,772 | |
| 15-24 | 1,505 | 3,760 | |
| 25-34 | 2,052 | 2,276 | |
| 35-44 | 1,281 | 2,320 | |
| 45-54 | 950 | 1,511 | |
| 55-64 | 882 | 1,416 | |
| 65-74 | 940 | 1,349 | |
| 75+ | 1,246 | 1,291 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Puncture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Burn, Electrical | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Hand | Burn, Electrical |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
91YOF P/W FALL, PT STATES SHE DROPPED THE PHONE, BENT OVER TO PICK IT UP, FELL ONTO FLOOR NEXT TO BED, C/O CHEST AND ABD PAIN. DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF RIB
12MOF ROLLED OFF THE BED LESS THAN 1 FOOT HIGH AND HIT FACE ON A CHARGER DX: FACIAL ABRASIONS
16 YOM C/O ELECTROCUTION S/P WAS AT SCHOOL AND PLUGGED HIS PHONE CHARGER INTO A WALL OUTLET AND FELT A SHOCK GO THROUGH HIM. DX: ELECTROCUTION
53 YOM WAS IN THE ED BEING TREATED FOR ABDOMINAL PAIN AND UTI AND BECAME AGITATED AND TORE APART A PHONE CHARGER AND CUT HIS LEFT FOREARM. DX: COMPLICATED UTI, PYELONEPHRITIS
15 YOF WAS WALKING AND TRIPPED OVER A CHARGING CORD, FALLING DOWN 6 CARPETED STEPS 6 DAYS AGO, STRIKING HEAD. DX: CONCUSSION
44 YOM WITH LOW BACK PAIN. HE WAS BENT OVER CHARGING A CAR BATTERY AND LATER THAT DAY NOTED LOW BACK PAIN DX MYOFASCIAL LOW BACK PAIN
7YOF SLIPPED AND FELL STRIKING HEAD ON THE LAPTOP CHARGER DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
61YOF WITH HIP PAIN AFTER FALLING DOWN WHILE TRYING TO REACH A PHONE CHARGER. PT FELL ON THE GROUND ONTO LEFT HIP. NOTED THAT PT AMBULATES WITH WALKER. DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF NECK OF LEFT FEMUR; CONTUSION OF FACE.
3MOM LAPTOP CHARGING CABLE FELL HITTING THE PT IN THE HEAD TODAY AT HOME AFTER MOTHER ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED IF OFF THE COUNTER PT WAS SITTING IN HIS CAR SEAT HAS BRUISE ON FOREHEAD DX: INJURY OF HEAD TRAUMATIC HEMATOMA OF FOREHEAD
43YOF PICKED UP A BATTERY CHARGER SATURDAY AND NOW HAVING BACK PAIN. DX FLANK PAIN
48YOF PRESENTS FOR TOE PAIN AFTER SHE ACCIDENTALLY TRIPPED OVER A CHARGER. DX: SPRAIN OF SECOND TOE OF RIGHT FOOT
68YOM, TRIPPED OVER HIS PHONE CHARGER CORD WHILE WALKING AND FELL HITTING CHEST ON THE EDGE OF A SHELF, DX: CHEST WALL CONTUSION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Was using a recently purchased charging block for [REDACTED] charging that was bought from Target (made by Just Wireless) and the charging block started smoking, melted and burnt a hole in oil couch before we had a chance to unplug it. If we had not caught it in time, it would surely started a fire in our home.
I placed four NiMH partially discharged batteries in an Energizer battery charger (model CHVCM) and charged them. I removed the charger from the wall. I removed two batteries from the charger and then placed the charger with the remaining two batteries still in it on a wooden table. Several minutes later I heard a series of loud popping noises coming from the charger at regular intervals. There was an acrid smell. The charger was extremely hot to the touch. I called poison control and, at their recommendation, disposed of the charger and batteries by placing them in a paper bag and putting them in a trash can. The batteries were about two years old, the charger was much older than that and had been stored in an uninsulated garage for several years.
Wireless phone charger spontaneously combusted, exploded and started a fire in my kitchen
While the Journey Rapid GO 10,000mAh Wireless Kickstand Power Bank was plugged in and charging, it suddenly exploded, burst into flames, and produced heavy smoke and a strong burnt odor. Within less than two minutes the charger completely melted. If I had not been home, this could have started a house fire.
Connect to 120v charger to item and the charger exploded on kitchen counter.
I was charging 2, 6s Lipo batteries with a Hiyiton C8 Dual Charger purchased from Amazon in 2022. This charger is identical to the [REDACTED] but has no recall's. I have pictures of a catastrophic fire that was produced by this charger. I have charged many (potentially hundreds) of batteries with this charger but this was scary and I've been repairing my property since yesterday 9/6/2025. Just wanted to report this fire. Luckily I was home and caught it. I had 2 of these chargers side by side and they both burned really bad in the fire.
Minecraft Redstone Torch USB Wall Charger caught fire while plugged
https://www.amazon.com/TUSITA-Charger-Ticwatch-Smartwatch-Accessories/dp/B07DJ6T3CL/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 Short circuited then melted the plastic and the wires which proceeded to lightly burn my ear. It claims to have a overcurrent protection. It's a charger for a [REDACTED]. Is being used as a charger from an outlet USB brick.
Showing 8 of 580 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to battery chargers/adapters on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are battery chargers/adapters?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, battery chargers/adapters have a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 1,667 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from battery chargers/adapters?
The most common injury is electric shock to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,214 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from battery chargers/adapters increasing or decreasing?
Up 108% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for battery chargers/adapters injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 5,745 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by battery chargers/adapters?
Of all ER visits involving battery chargers/adapters, approximately 4.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with battery chargers/adapters?
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 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 5-14 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.
