Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Caustics ranks #84 of 838 by danger score (43/100) at ER-volume #730 of 838 (143/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #84
- danger rank of 838
- #730
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 43/100
- danger score
- 143/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 (43/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
43 Higher than most more dangerous than 88% 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: 51/100
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.
| Dimension | Value | National percentile | Weight applied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) | 20 | 93rd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 143 | 11th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +125% | 100th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 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 2,855 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 968. Segments sum to 2,855 - 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 Home Workshop Tools & 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.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment danger scores
How this 43/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for caustics - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 143 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 19.8% Very high admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+125%
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 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for caustics are rising by about 125% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (440 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2019 (5 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 1,302 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, chemical to the eyeball (364 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 840 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 19.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how caustics 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 Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 790 | 50 | |
| 5-14 | 158 | 89 | |
| 15-24 | 197 | 225 | |
| 25-34 | 169 | 16 | |
| 35-44 | 198 | 72 | |
| 45-54 | 170 | 154 | |
| 55-64 | 284 | 31 | |
| 65-74 | 102 | 0 | |
| 75+ | 69 | 79 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Hand | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Face | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Chemical | |
| Not Stated/unk | Burn, Chemical | |
| Pubic Region | Burn, Chemical | |
| Finger | Burn, Chemical | |
| Ankle | Burn, Chemical | |
| Foot | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Hemorrhage |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
52YOM C/O EYE PROBLEM. SPRAYED *** COIL CLEANER IN EYE. NOW WITH BLURRED VISION, DISCHARGE, AND REDNESS. BILATERAL RED CONJUNCTIVA. PUPILS ARE EQUAL. POISON CONTROL CONTACTED AND RECOMMENDED OPHTHALMOLOGY FOLLOW UP. DX: EYE IRRITATION, CHEMICAL IN EYE
53YOF STATES HER HUSBAND FILLED A WATER BOTTLE WITH DEGREASER AND PT TOOK IT, THOUGHT IT WAS WATER, PT DRANK 10 CC, C/O OF NAUSEA, BURNING TO MOUTH, THROAT, EPIGASTRIC PAIN, DX ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF CAUSTIC ALKALI
56YOM WITH BURN TO RLE AFTER SPILLING CAUSTIC PEARLS ON IT DX; BURN INJURY
37YOM, C/O EYE PAIN, GOT COIL CLEANER LEFT EYE DX: LEFT EYE PAIN
27 YOM with history of schizophrenia presents following ingesting *** disinfecting cleaner.DX: Accidental ingestion of caustic alkali
25yom reports coming into contact with *** which is used to remove grafitti, contains potassium hydroxide Dx: chemical burn, r pointer finger
37 yom drank about a tablespoon of***cleaning product in water instead of his medication by mistake dX: ingestion corrosive chemical
65 yom had boat cleaner splash into eyes(***) acid and altered his eyesight DX: chemical exposure eye
14YOF PT HERE FOR EXPOSURE TO *** SOLUTION WHILE IN BIOLOGY CLASS FOR APPX 2 MINS, PT VOMITED ONCES AND IS COMPLAINING OF THROAT TIGHTNESS. DX LWBS
3YOM INGESTED A ROOFING CLEANING LIQUID FROM FATHERS BAG IN HIS TRUCK. PARENTS SPOKE TO POISON CONTROL, CHILD COUGHING AND DRY HEAVING IMMEDIATELY AFTER DRINKING THE LIQUID. DX: ACCIDENTAL HYDROCARBON INGESTION, ABDOMINAL PAIN, MOUTH PAIN
75 YOM C/O CLEANING HIS SHOWERHEAD YESTERDAY WITH *** . THE SHOWERHEAD DROPPED AND HIT HIM NEAR HIS SCRTUM. REDNESS, SWELLING AND DRAINAGE FROM TESTICULAR AREA. DX SUPERFICIAL BURN OF SCROTUM
26 YOM, PLAYING BASKETBALL, PERFORMING A TRICK SHOT AND KNOCKED A BUCKET WITH HYDROCHLORIC AND HYDROFLUORIC ACID IN IT ONT HIS ANKLE. PT REMOVED SHOE AND SOCK AND WASHED FOOT OFF YESTERDAY. REPORTS IT HAPPENED 2 DAYS AGO. PT NOW PRESENTS WITH MULTIPLE LARGE BLISTERS TO ANKLE. DX: CHEMICAL BURN TO ANKLE
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to caustics on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Caustics: cross-group products nearest on danger score (43/100), estimated annual ER visits (143/yr), and hospitalization share (19.8%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
Similar ER visit volume
Nearest cross-group products by NEISS estimated annual ER visits.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
- Nightwear Personal Care & Safety Products 19.8%admitted
- Fuel Multi-purpose Lighters, Incl. Micro-torches Personal Care & Safety Products 19.8%admitted
- Residential Alternative Energy Systems For On-site Power Gen Floors, Walls & Ceilings 19.8%admitted
- Gas Or Lp Heaters, Other Or Not Specified Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares 20.5%admitted
Related Products in Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
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, Caustics ranks #84 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #730 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does caustics rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, caustics ranks #84 by PlainSafety danger score (43/100) and #730 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (143/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from caustics?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 1,302 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from caustics increasing or decreasing?
Up 125% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for caustics injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 840 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by caustics?
Of all ER visits involving caustics, approximately 19.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (80.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with caustics?
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.
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.