Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Clotheslines Or Clothes Drying Racks ranks #526 of 838 by danger score (33/100) at ER-volume #451 of 838 (1,695/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #526
- danger rank of 838
- #451
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 33/100
- danger score
- 1,695/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 (33/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
33 Lower than most lower than 63% 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: 40/100
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) | 9 | 71st | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 1,695 | 43rd | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -38% | 13th | 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 33,914 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1821. Segments sum to 33,914 - 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 Building Materials & Home Structures 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.
Building Materials & Home Structures danger scores
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for clotheslines or clothes drying racks - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 1,695 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 8.9% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-38%
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 clotheslines or clothes drying racks are declining by about 38% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (2,458 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (741 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 3,098 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (2,269 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 9,731 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 8.9% 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 clotheslines or clothes drying racks 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 | 1,251 | 603 | |
| 5-14 | 5,735 | 3,996 | |
| 15-24 | 2,453 | 1,006 | |
| 25-34 | 1,901 | 678 | |
| 35-44 | 925 | 1,763 | |
| 45-54 | 1,468 | 1,971 | |
| 55-64 | 657 | 1,630 | |
| 65-74 | 964 | 1,631 | |
| 75+ | 827 | 4,439 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Neck | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Arm | Fracture | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Elbow | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
79YOF PRICKED HER LEFT INDEX FINGER ON A CLOTHESLINE, HAS TENDERNESS AND SWELLINGDX: FB LEFT INDEX FINGER.
6YOF FELL FROM CLOTHES LINE AND LANDED ON RIGHT ARM. DX: FRACTURE OF RIGHT DISTAL HUMERUS
4 YOF WAS TRYING TO SWING ON A CLOTHESLINE SO SHE CLIMBED ON THE FOLDING CHAIR AND THE CHAIR GAVE OUT ON HER AND SHE FELL ON HER ARM. DX: DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURE
4 YOF SWINGING ON A CLOTHESLINE AND FELL DX: L RADIUS/ULNA FX
47YOF SWELLING TO LEFT EYEBROW, RAN INTO A CLOTHESLINE DX: ABSCESS OF EYEBROW
77YOF WAS IN HER HOUSE WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN AND SHE RUSHED OUTSIDE TO GET CLOTHES OFF CLOTHESLINE WHEN SHE TRIPPED OVER HER SOFA AND FELL DX: FRACTURE LEFT FOOT, STRAINED LOWER BACK
81 YOF FELL ABOUT 48 HOURS AGO UNDER A CLOTHESLINE AND WAS UNABLE TO GET UP. DX: FREQUENT FALLS, WEAKNESS
63YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED WITH A LACERATION TO THE LEFT CHEEK, STATES SHE WAS HELPING HER MOM HANG UP CLOTHES ON THE THE CLOTHES LINE. THE POST OF THE THE CLOSE LINE FELL AND HIT HER IN THE FACE. STATES SHE WANTS IT TO BE CHECKED. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
70YOF, WAS LETTING HER DOG OUT WHEN TRIPPED AND FELL HITTING FACE ONTO CLOTHES RACK, NO LOC OR BLOOD THINNERS, DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT EYELID
36YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE RAN INTO A CLOTHESLINE, AND FELT PAIN TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, AND DEFORMITY. DX: SEPARATION OF ACROMIOCLAVICULAR JOINT
73YOF HAD A MECHANICAL SLIP AND FALL AT HOME, TRIPPED OVER A CLOTHING DRYING RACK DX: CONTUSION CHEST, CONTUSION RIGHT KNEE
4YOF WAS WALKING WOBBLY TODAY AFTER A LONG CAR RIDE, WAS AT HOME WHEN SHE STRUCK HER HEAD AGAINST A CLOTHES STAND AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. HAD A SEIZURE-LIKE MOVEMENT AND BROUGHT PT TO THE ED. DX: CHI; ADMIT
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to clotheslines or clothes drying racks on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Building Materials & Home Structures
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Clotheslines Or Clothes Drying Racks: cross-group products nearest on danger score (33/100), estimated annual ER visits (1,695/yr), and hospitalization share (8.9%). 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.
- Bench Or Table Saws Home Communication & Entertainment 8.9%admitted
- Paper Products Containers & Packaging 8.9%admitted
- Painting Equip., Powered (sprayers, Rollers, Brushes) Home Communication & Entertainment 8.9%admitted
- Bathtub Or Shower Enclosures, Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings 8.9%admitted
Related Products in Building Materials & Home Structures
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, Clotheslines Or Clothes Drying Racks ranks #526 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #451 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does clotheslines or clothes drying racks rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, clotheslines or clothes drying racks ranks #526 by PlainSafety danger score (33/100) and #451 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (1,695/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from clotheslines or clothes drying racks?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 3,098 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from clotheslines or clothes drying racks increasing or decreasing?
Down 38% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for clotheslines or clothes drying racks injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 9,731 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by clotheslines or clothes drying racks?
Of all ER visits involving clotheslines or clothes drying racks, approximately 8.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (91.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with clotheslines or clothes drying racks?
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.