Floor Waxes
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 Workshop Tools & Equipment · CPSC Code 904
Down 30% over 5 years
The verdict
Floor Waxes carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 707 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 30% over the last five years.
- 33/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 707
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 11.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 904 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for floor waxes - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume707 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)11.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-30%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Floor Waxes (CPSC product code 904, in the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment category) generate an estimated 707 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 14,144 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 33/100 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 30% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (1,336 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (344 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for floor waxes is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 1,424 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by poisoning to the all parts body (1,157 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,213 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 11.4% 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 floor waxes 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 | 265 | 212 | |
| 5-14 | 50 | 276 | |
| 15-24 | 328 | 487 | |
| 25-34 | 246 | 776 | |
| 35-44 | 488 | 729 | |
| 45-54 | 1,192 | 2,021 | |
| 55-64 | 1,025 | 1,906 | |
| 65-74 | 485 | 1,273 | |
| 75+ | 560 | 1,825 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
31 YOF GOT FLOOR STIPPER ON FACE HAS INFECTION DX: CELLUITIS
40YOF SLIPPED ON FRESHLY WAXED HARDWOOD FLOOR&FELL AGAINST A TABLE DX: SPRAIN OF LEFT SHOULDER
42 YOM WAS POLISHING WOOD FLOORS WITHIN HIS HOME 2 DAYS AGO AND DEVELOPED A FACIAL RASH AFTERWARDS.DX: RASH
50YOM, C/O PERSISTENT LEFT SIDED CHEST PAIN AFTER SLIPPED&FELL ON WAXED FLOOR, DX; NSTEMI
54 YOF REPORTS SHE WAS WAXING THE FLOOR WHILE WEARING JUST SOCKS AND SHE TURNED ON THE WAXY FLOOR AND SLIPPED, LANDING ON HER LEFT HIP.DX: FRACTURE LEFT FEMUR
75YOM WAS WAXING HIS BATHROOM FLOOR WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL STRIKING HIS HEAD ON THE NIGHTSTAND DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY; LACERATION OF RIGHT ELBOW
66YOF HAS A CHEMICAL BURN TO RIGHT FOOT FROM A FLOOR CLEANING CHEMICAL AT HOME DX: CHEMICAL BURN TO FOOT
53YOF REPORTS HER LANDLORD HOT WAXED HER FLOORS AND SHE FELT BACKWARDS LANDING FLAT ON HER BACK AND NOW IS HAVING WHOLE BODY PAIN. STATES CERVICAL SPINE PAIN. PT STATES SHE ALSO HIT THE BACK OF HER HEAD WHEN SHE FELL. DX:MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN
51 YOM STATES HE WAS WAXING FLOORS 2 DAYS AGO AND HE SLIPPED LANDING ON HIS BACK. PT STATES BACK AND RIB PAIN SINCE. DX: BACK PAIN, RIB PAIN
61YOF COMPLAINS OF NECK PAIN RADIATING INTO HER CHEST AFTER SCRUBBING WAX OFF A FLOOR. SHE WAS SITTING ON A LOW STOOL. DX: CHEST PAIN
*68YOF,ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF REJUVENATE WOOD CLEANER,TAKING A PILL AN ACCIDENTALLY TOOD SIP OF IT,DX:INGESTION
84 YOM SLIPPED ON A NEWLY WAXED FLOOR AND FELL. DX: NONDISPLACED FRACTURE OF GREATER TROCHANTER OF L FEMUR, FRACTURE HIP.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This past summer, in early July, we had the floors in our dining room and living room refinished with the product: Sampson professional urethane seal, satin clear, product 020933. The work had to be done in two stages, so furniture could be moved back and forth, and lasted July 1-3, and 8-9. The refinishers had told us to leave the air conditioner on while they worked, to lower humidity. I asked multiple times whether it was safe to stay in the house, and was told each time that there was no problem. Their answer: run the a/c. Do not open the windows. The humidity levels are high. There is not a health risk to you. If you are sensitive to smells, sometimes can give you a headache. You are fine. I stayed upstairs with the bottom of the door sealed and windows open. For most of the time I was fine, with only a small reaction at the back of my throat when breathing the air on the first floor. On the Monday, July 8th, my throat was feeling a bit raw when I breathed. On Tuesday, I realized that I had an enormous, horrible, raging raw feeling at the back of my throat and down my windpipe when I tried to breathe. I went outside, and could not force myself to reenter my house. We moved out for that night, and came back only when we were able to leave windows open throughout the house. The raw feeling calmed a bit, but was still there one and a half months later, so I went to a doctor on August 21. The airways looked irritated. After 3 (THREE!) courses of [REDACTED], my throat is recovering, although still somewhat sore and not fully recovered, , and my voice is still hoarse. This is a problem because I teach, but hopefully my airways will fully recover soon. I would like several things: 1. The product should be required to have large warnings on it for people to vacate their homes during its use. 2. The contents of the product should be accessible. 4. Any information about harm from the product should be accessible, i.e. increased cancer risk
We refinished our floors using Bona NaturalSeal, Bona MegaOne and BonaTrafficHD. The company stated that the products would cure in 3-7 days however, since we installed these 5-6 months ago, we have been suffering from dizziness, loss of coordination, fatigue/drowsiness, and short term memory loss. We conducted air quality testing 5 months after installation and found unacceptable levels of the following ingredients from the product in the air, listed below: 1. Bona Natural Seal: Propylene glycol, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, 2-methoxy methyl methyl ethoxy propanol (listed on Bona's MSDS but not ingredients list) 2. Bona MegaOne: Propylene glycol These ingredients will not stop off gassing from the floors and causing us illness. Bona customer service said that since a contractor purchased the products for us, they are not responsible, which we do not accept. We can provide our air quality test results for your review.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to floor waxes on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are floor waxes?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, floor waxes have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 707 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from floor waxes?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 1,424 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from floor waxes increasing or decreasing?
Down 30% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for floor waxes injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,213 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by floor waxes?
Of all ER visits involving floor waxes, approximately 11.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (88.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with floor waxes?
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 Workshop Tools & Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 33/100 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 45-54 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.
