Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots ranks #574 of 838 by danger score (32/100) at ER-volume #789 of 838 (62/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #574
- danger rank of 838
- #789
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 32/100
- danger score
- 62/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 (32/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
32 Lower than most lower than 68% 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: 29/100
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) | 2 | 19th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 62 | 5th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +146% | 100th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 3 | 28th | 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 1,047 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 462. Segments sum to 1,047 - 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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging 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.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging danger scores
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for chafing dishes or fondue pots - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 62 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 2.4% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+146%
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 chafing dishes or fondue pots are rising by about 146% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2023 (178 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (6 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 191 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the finger (148 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 260 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 2.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how chafing dishes or fondue pots 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 | 93 | 0 | |
| 5-14 | 77 | 95 | |
| 15-24 | 33 | 227 | |
| 25-34 | 15 | 33 | |
| 35-44 | 0 | 31 | |
| 45-54 | 55 | 82 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 73 | |
| 65-74 | 19 | 214 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Wrist | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Ear | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
67YOF PRESENTS TO ED WITH R SHOULDER PAIN AFTER LIFTING A HEAVY POT YESTERDAY. STATES SHE FEELS HER UPPER ARM IS NUMB.DX: MUSCLE STRAIN
67 YOF INJURED FINGER, WHILE CARRYING CHAFING DISH UP STAIRS, TRIPPED. DX- LACERATION LEFT THUMB
46YOM TO ER FOR LEFT THUMB LACERATION, PT SAYS WAS MOVING STUFF IN HIS GARAGE & HE CUT SELF ON A STEEL CHAFFING DISH DX LACERATION LEFT THUMB
21YOF COMPLAINS OF WRIST PAIN. STARTED WHILE WASHING DISHES. LEFT AND RIGHT WRIST. DX: DE QUEVAIN'S TENOSYNOVITIS; BILATERAL
28YOM PRESENTED TO ED C/O LACERATION AFTER BREAKING A DISH. DX; LACERATION OF FOREARM
21YOF W/ BOYFRIEND, STS ADMITS DRINKING ETOH TONITE (NO BAL), BOYFRIEND STS THEY HERE PT HAS LACERATION L 5TH TOE, SHE STEPPED ON A METAL CHAFING DISH, SUSTAINED LACERATION DX LACERATION OF LESSER TOE L FOOT
24YOM SUPERFICIAL ABRASION TO THE RIGHT BASE OF THE FITH TOE AND ABRASION TO THE RIGHT GREAT TO AFTER KICKING A CEMENT POT AND A BARBED ON A PITCHFORK. DX, TOE CONTUSION AND ABRASIONSTO FEET
8 yof licked fondue stick that was dipped in *** (ethanol base cooking gel) and wants to be checked DX: accidental ingestion of substance
48YOF PT STS A POT FELL OFF AND HIT HER IN THE NOSE. DX: ACUTE RT NASAL FX, LACERATION BRIDGE OF NOSE.
26 Y/O F WAS BURNED ON BILATERAL THIGHS AFTER BOILING WATER IN A FOOD TRAY SPILLED ON HER AT A PARTY. DX: BILATERAL ANTERIOR THIGH BURNS
7YOF AT A RESTAURANT AND SUSTAINED A THERMAL BURN TO LOWER ARM ON A FONDUE POT
21YM WAS CARRYING CHAFING DISH&ACC CUT FINGER ON IT>>LAC
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I purchased a Trudeau brand fondue pot at the thrift store. It was still wrapped up in plastic, no box, and had never been used. We used the pot for the 1st time and when my husband went to lift it up the handle broke, causing hot oil to spill on him and my 13 year old child. Luckily, the burns were not severe enough to seek medical attention. I do have the box for the item and no product #, only instruction/recipe pamplet with Trudeau on it. It is not the same pot that you have on your recall list.
Using our Cuisinart electric fondue pot, the fork ring lifted up, tipped and slipped into the hot oil, splashing it onto our daughter's next and causing (fortunately) minor burns.
My complaint is with the Oster Triple Station Buffet Server. I cut my finger while washing the bottom of one of the buffet trays. The edge of the tray is too sharp.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to chafing dishes or fondue pots on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots: cross-group products nearest on danger score (32/100), estimated annual ER visits (62/yr), and hospitalization share (2.4%). 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.
- Art Or Ceramics Supplies And Equipment (excl. Paintbrushes) Home Structures & Construction Materials 2.4%admitted
- Fishing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 2.4%admitted
- Toy Vehicles (excluding Riding Toys) Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 2.5%admitted
- Toys, Not Specified Toys & Children's Recreation 2.4%admitted
Related Products in Containers, Tableware & Packaging
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, Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots ranks #574 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #789 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does chafing dishes or fondue pots rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, chafing dishes or fondue pots ranks #574 by PlainSafety danger score (32/100) and #789 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (62/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from chafing dishes or fondue pots?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 191 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from chafing dishes or fondue pots increasing or decreasing?
Up 146% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for chafing dishes or fondue pots injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 260 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by chafing dishes or fondue pots?
Of all ER visits involving chafing dishes or fondue pots, approximately 2.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with chafing dishes or fondue pots?
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.