Corkscrews
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.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 416
Down 57% over 5 years
The verdict
Corkscrews carry a danger score of 22/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 177 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 57% over the last five years.
- 22/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 177
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 0.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 416 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 22/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for corkscrews - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume177 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)0.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-57%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Corkscrews (CPSC product code 416, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 177 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 3,366 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 22/100 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 57% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2011 (341 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (16 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for corkscrews is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 884 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (831 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 794 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 0.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 2 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how corkscrews 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 | 104 | 0 | |
| 5-14 | 82 | 85 | |
| 15-24 | 347 | 86 | |
| 25-34 | 570 | 224 | |
| 35-44 | 331 | 199 | |
| 45-54 | 237 | 271 | |
| 55-64 | 92 | 380 | |
| 65-74 | 184 | 16 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 160 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Finger | Puncture | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Finger | Other | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Upper Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Concussion |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
21YOF PRESENTS TO ED FOR HAND INJURY PT WAS TRYING TO USE A CORKSCREW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF WINE AND SLIPPED AND GOUGED HERSELF BETWEEN THUM AND INDEX FINGER DX: LAC OF HAND W/O FOREIGN BODY
27YOM LAC HAND ON CORKSCREW & STRUCK HEAD ON UNK METAL OBJECT, DX: CONCUSSION & LAC OF HAND
29YOM INJ FINGER ON CORKSCREW WHILE OPENING BOTTLE OF WINE, DX: INJ OF FINGER
34 YOM WAS OPEING A BOTTLE OF WINE WHEN THE CORKSCREW SLIPPED AND CUT HIS WRIST. DX: LACERATION OF WRIST.
15YOM WAS TRYING TO OPEN UP A COCONUT WITH A CORKSCREW TO GET THE MILK OUT OF IT AND IT WENT INTO LEFT MIDDLE FINGER DX: LACERATION FINGER
6YOM WAS AT SCHOOL WHEN HE FELL FROM 5FT OFF A CORKSCREW-TYPE PLAY STRUCTURE, LANDING ONTO R ELBOW FIRST. DX: SUPRACONDYLAR FX OF R HUMERUS
52YOM LAC HAND USING CORKSCREW, DX: LAC OF LEFT HAND
8 YOF GOT CORK IN RT. EAR. FOREIGN BODY, IN RT. EAR (CORK)
29 YOM INJURED HAND,CUT ON WINE OPENER,CORKSCREW,AT HOME. DX- LACERATION RIGHT HAND
27 YOM WAS USING WINE OPENER TO CUT PLASTIC TIES & SLIPPED.DX: L FOREARM LAC 1 CM.
58 YOF DROPPED A HEAVY CORKSCREW ONTO FOOT.DX: L GREAT TOE CONT.
31 YOF WINE CORKSCREW FELL PT TRIED TO GRAB IT SPRAINED WRIST
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
In Feb 2014 I was using a Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew (964 Third Ave, NY, NY 10155 metrokane.com) and the lever that extracts the cork broke as I was pressing it down. My hand was damaged from the impact as it made contact with the base of the unit and was bleeding at this point. The wine bottle I was extracting the cork from slipped from my hand and landed on my foot and eventually broke on the floor. I had used this device about 50 times previously. This unit has a 10 year warranty so I contacted the Metrokane 1-888-748-8814 and described the situation and also sent them a picture of the broken unit and was told they would replace it free of charge. They have not responded to my phone calls. This is not a safe product, I believe it is dangerous.
The first time I tried to remove the wine bottle stopper I recieved a puncture wound to my finger caused by a metal burr or shard that was protruding from the lower edge of the ball portion of the stopper.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to corkscrews on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are corkscrews?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, corkscrews have a danger score of 22/100 (low risk). An estimated 177 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from corkscrews?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 884 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from corkscrews increasing or decreasing?
Down 57% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for corkscrews injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 794 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by corkscrews?
Of all ER visits involving corkscrews, approximately 0.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (100.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with corkscrews?
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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 22/100 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 25-34 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.
