Electric Holiday Decorations (excl. Christmas Tree Lights)
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 Medical & Assistance Devices · CPSC Code 1736
Down 14% over 5 years
The verdict
Electric Holiday Decorations (excl. Christmas Tree Lights) carry a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 3,832 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 14% over the last five years.
- 40/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 3,832
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 12.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 35-44
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1736 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 40/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume3,832 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)12.5%
- Fatality rate0.09%
- 5-year trend-14%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Electric Holiday Decorations (excl. Christmas Tree Lights) (CPSC product code 1736, in the Home Medical & Assistance Devices category) generate an estimated 3,832 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 76,639 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 40/100 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 declining by about 14% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (5,767 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (1,385 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 5,356 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the lower trunk (3,946 cases). The 35-44 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 12,813 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 12.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.09%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 48 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) 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 | 1,453 | 1,159 | |
| 5-14 | 1,145 | 846 | |
| 15-24 | 3,567 | 1,359 | |
| 25-34 | 8,314 | 3,833 | |
| 35-44 | 7,986 | 4,827 | |
| 45-54 | 7,738 | 4,841 | |
| 55-64 | 7,377 | 5,091 | |
| 65-74 | 5,616 | 3,450 | |
| 75+ | 4,085 | 3,946 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Ankle | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
50 YOM STATES HE WAS HANGING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS YESTERDAY AND NOW HAS ABD PAIN AND A LUMP. DX: PERIUMBILICAL HERNIA
80YOM C/O PAIN L IND FING. AWOKE WITH PAIN 4 DAYS AGO. THE DAYS PRIOR TO THAT HE WAS HANGING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, BUT DENIES ANY SPECIFIC TRAUMA OR FB TO HIS FINGER. SAW HIS HEMATOLOGIST 4 DAYS AGO FOR THIS AND WAS STARTED ON DOXYCYCLINE. DX: TENOSYNOVITIS OF FINGER
47 YOF PRESENTS WTIH L HIP PAIN. DEVELOPED PAIN AT THE BACK OF L THIGH HOURS AFTER PUTTING AWAY CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN THE ATTIC AT HOME. PAIN RADIATES DOWN L THIGH. DENIES FALL OR DIRECT TRAUMA TO THE AREA. DX: MUSCLE STRAIN OF L THIGH.
83YOF COMPLAINS OF BACK PAIN THAT RADIATES DOWN HER LEG. SHE NOTICED THE PAIN AFTER TAKING DOWN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. DX: LOW BACK STRAIN, SCIATICA
61YOM COMPLAINS OF LEFT SIDED NECK PAIN AFTER TAKING DOWN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. PAIN RADIATES TO LEFT SHOULDER. DX: NECK MUSCLE STRAIN
77YOM WAS PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON HIS ROOF WHEN HE FELL OFF DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF PELVIS, FRACTURED RIBS
46YOM LEFT ARM AND LEFT LEG PAIN AFTER FALLING OFF OF A LADDER 15 FEET UP WHILE PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT HOME DX: ANTERIOR DISLOCATION OF LEFT SHOULDER, LACERATION OF LEFT LOWER EXTREMITY, LEFT AC SEPARATION
19 YOM PRESENTS FOR DEEP LACERATIONS TO HIS RIGHT SECOND AND THIRD FINGERS SUSTAINED WHILE REMOVING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS FROM THE ROOF OF A HOUSE. DX: FLEXOR TENDON LACERATION OF FINGER WITH OPEN WOUND. PT ELOPED
68YOM PRESENTS WITH RIGHT HIP SCIATIC PAIN /SEVER LEFT BUTTOCK PAIN THAT STARTED WHILE HE WAS TAKING OUT THE STAKES OF BLOW UP YARD CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS DX: RADICULOPATHY
24YOM TO ER FOR LOW BACK PAIN AFTER PICKING UP A BOX OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. PT HAS BILATERAL LOW BACK PAIN DX LOW BACK PAIN, LUMBAR PARASPINAL LOW BACK PAIN
54YOF, COMING IN COMPLAINING OF CONSTANT SUBSTERNAL CHEST PAIN THAT DEVELOPED 48 HOURS AGO WHEN SHE WAS PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, DX: CHEST PAIN
21MOM, WAS AT GRANDMOTHERS PLACE WHERE HE BIT INTO A POINTY GLASS CHRISTMAS LIGHT OFF THE TV STAND AND STARTED CRYING AND GRANDMOTHER NOTICED SHATTERED GLASS DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I put rope lights on my roof for Christmas. When I took them down, two of them burned all the way through the plastic
Product caught on fire and damaged surrounding property. Product purchased through Amazon: "AWART Fairy String Lights Christmas Decorative Lights 33 Feet 100 LEDs, 8 Flash Modes with Tail Plug Connectable Cherry Flower Decoration Novelty Light". I used the lights to illuminate my front garden fence, shrubs, and front door. No injuries, but there was a fire.
Decorative LED Christmas lights overheated and started sizzling and smoldering.
I purchased a set of outdoor Christmas lights from Walgreens that were marketed for both indoor and outdoor use. After hanging them on my porch during the winter, the glass bulbs filled with water, which caused them to shatter. I was injured when I stepped on a shard of glass that had been buried under snow. Thankfully, the injury wasnt severe, but Im still concerned that there may be more glass fragments in my yard, which could pose a risk to others as well as additional risk to myself.
On 11/2/2011 I purchased 80 boxes of Holiday Time LED C7 Light Sets from Wal-Mart in Grove, OK. They are 14 feet long and contain 25 LED lights each. Each LED element is enclosed with a plastic globe. The box is marked "indoor/outdoor use", and there is an Underwriters Lab label on each string. I hung the lights around the outside of the house using plastic mounting hooks made to fit the lights (same brand). Problem: After a rain, I noticed water inside the plastic globes. Then after a freeze, the globes on many of the units popped off, exposing the LED elements. Within a few days of water in the globes, several of the strings of lights shorted out and quit functioning. My concern, in addition to the inconvenience, is that the water in the globes and the exposed LED elements presents a risk of electrocution and fire. I know that water and electricity do not mix. They are definitely NOT suitable for outdoor use.
We had a string of grinch Christmas lights that we have hung by our tv. We were playing them and left them on the floor when we went to put our kids to bed. We came back 10 minutes later and the item was extremely hot and began to melt the plastic. We took the batteries out and it appeared to have started to expand the batteries as well. If not caught when we did, it would have caught on fire.
I bough a AW Holiday TINSEL GARLAND with 30 lights with batteries working. When I put the batteries in to turn it on, one of the batteries, are three AA, started to heat up and then exploded. Number CRV5082/HB2169.
I purchased a 52 inch gradient deer from Sears and assembled it at home. After plugging it in inside my home, I noticed that half the lights were not working. I lifted the deer up and to see if there was a loose connection or a connection plug and received a terrible electrical shock from the deer up my hand and through my arm.
Showing 8 of 48 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) have a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 3,832 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 5,356 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) increasing or decreasing?
Down 14% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights) injuries?
The 35-44 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 12,813 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights)?
Of all ER visits involving electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights), approximately 12.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (87.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with electric holiday decorations (excl. christmas tree lights)?
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 Medical & Assistance Devices
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 40/100 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 35-44 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.
