Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Fencing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #622 of 838 by danger score (31/100) at ER-volume #663 of 838 (318/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #622
- danger rank of 838
- #663
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 31/100
- danger score
- 318/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 (31/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
31 Lower than most lower than 74% 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: 28/100
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 | 12th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 318 | 19th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +30% | 86th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 2 | 25th | 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 6,358 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 3260. Segments sum to 6,358 - 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 Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 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.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear danger scores
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 318 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 1.8% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+30%
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 fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) are rising by about 30% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2023 (702 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2015 (112 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 405 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (381 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,323 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 1.8% 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 fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) 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 | 0 | 16 | |
| 5-14 | 493 | 382 | |
| 15-24 | 1,585 | 1,738 | |
| 25-34 | 841 | 111 | |
| 35-44 | 241 | 164 | |
| 45-54 | 245 | 248 | |
| 55-64 | 151 | 0 | |
| 65-74 | 103 | 32 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Dislocation | |
| Lower Leg | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Puncture | |
| Hand | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
15YOM COMES TO THE ER WITH A HEAD INJURY.. HE WAS IN A FENCING TOURNAMENT, WEARING PROTECTIVE HEAD GEAR AND MASK, AND DURING ONE OF THE EVENTS HE WAS STRUCK IN THE RIGHT JAW TWICE AND THEN ON ANOTHER TIME HE WAS HIT IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HEAD. HE HAS A HEADACHE. EXAM NOTES NAUSEA, HEADACHE. DX: CONCUSSION NO LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
12YOF,WAS FENCING AN WENT FOR LUNGE AN INJURED HIP,DX:HIP PAIN
24YOM PRESENTS WITH LEFT KNEE DEFORMITY AFTER FENCING AT A FACILITY WHEN HE SLID DOWN ONTO HIS KNEE DX: INJURY WHILE SPORT FENCING, DISLOCATION OF PATELLA
17YOF WAS IN A FENCING TOURNAMENT AND TWISTED LEFT ANKLE DX: STRAINED ANKLE
24YOM, FELL ONTO KNEE DURING FENCING COMPETITION RESULTING IN SKIN AVULSION, DX: KNEE LACERATION, LEFT; CONTUSION OF LEFT KNEE
17YOF PRESENTS AFTER SHE TWISTED HER ANKLE WHILE FENCING. DX: ANKLE SPRAIN
11YOM, FELL ONTO HAND WHILE FENCING THEN A FRIEND FELL ONTO THE SAME HAND LATER, DX: LEFT HAND SPRAIN
14YOF WAS FENCING AND FELL BACKWARDS DURING A LUNGE STRIKING HEAD DX: CONCUSSION
17YOF WAS FENCING WHEN SHE TWISTED HER LEFT FOOT AND HER KNEE POPPED OUT OF PLACE DX: DISLOCATION LEFT KNEE
16YOM HURT ANKLE IN A FENCING TOURNAMENT. DX: ANKLE SPRAIN
15YOM WAS AT *** (+MESH FACE COVERING) WHEN HE WAS HIT IN THE FACE WITH A SWORD HANDLE. DX: MINOR HEAD INJURY; CONCUSSION.
46 YOF WITH C/O RIGHT UPPER QUADRANT ABDOMINAL PAIN. PT STATES SHE SPENT THE EVENING FENCING AND HAD 3 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. NO BAL DOCUMENTED. DX: PAIN OF UPPER ABDOMEN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Uhlmann Saber Fencing Glove, EN 10414-2000, Art: 10414, Size: 7.5, Right Hand Glove made of 60% Polyamid/40% Polyurethan. Glove was new with no signs of tears, rips or loose fibers. During a fencing match, opponants blunt saber pierced the glove between right index finger and right middle finger causing saber to go thru the child wearing the above mentioned glove injuring her hand. Saber with thru skin, thru muscle tissue along bone line creating a very deep puncture wound in childs hand. Glove failed to protect childs hand.
Multiple dangerous protective mesh failures of Blue Gauntlet Fencing masks discovered during tournament safety checks
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Fencing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment): cross-group products nearest on danger score (31/100), estimated annual ER visits (318/yr), and hospitalization share (1.8%). 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.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
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, Fencing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) ranks #622 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #663 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) ranks #622 by PlainSafety danger score (31/100) and #663 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (318/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from fencing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 405 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Up 30% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for fencing (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,323 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by fencing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving fencing (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 1.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with fencing (activity, apparel or equipment)?
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.