Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Food Skewers ranks #526 of 838 by danger score (33/100) at ER-volume #574 of 838 (655/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #526
- danger rank of 838
- #574
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 33/100
- danger score
- 655/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: 37/100
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) | 4 | 32nd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 655 | 28th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +24% | 83rd | 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 13,109 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 429. Segments sum to 13,109 - 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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging 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.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging danger scores
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for food skewers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 655 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 3.8% Below median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+24%
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 food skewers are rising by about 24% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2022 (993 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2006 (173 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is puncture to the hand, accounting for approximately 1,363 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by puncture to the foot (1,227 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,281 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 3.8% 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 food skewers 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 | 562 | 968 | |
| 5-14 | 2,058 | 1,223 | |
| 15-24 | 679 | 1,214 | |
| 25-34 | 919 | 1,139 | |
| 35-44 | 395 | 1,104 | |
| 45-54 | 367 | 738 | |
| 55-64 | 542 | 505 | |
| 65-74 | 133 | 369 | |
| 75+ | 57 | 126 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Puncture | |
| Foot | Puncture | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Foot | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Puncture | |
| Mouth | Puncture | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Foreign Body | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Puncture | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
22 YOF WITH A WOODEN SKEWER STUCK IN THROAT DX: FB
22MOF PRESENTS AFTER HAVING A WOODEN SKEWER PUNCTURE THE BACK OF HER THROAT WHILE CAMPING. SHE HAD A WOODEN KEBAB IN HER MOUTH WHEN HER FATHER TURNED AROUND AND SHE RAN INTO HIM AND PUNCTURERED THE POSTERIOR PORTION OF THE PHARAYNX JUST LATERAL TO THE TONSIL. DX: PUNCTURE WOUND OF INTERNAL MOUTH
64 YOM ACCIDENTALLY STABBED HIS HAND WITH WOODEN SKEWER DX FOREIGN BODY HAND
26 YOM REPORTS AROUND NOON ON 3/7 HE NOTICED THAT A BAMBOO SKEWER OF HIS SANDWICH WAS NOTABLY SHORTER, AND HE BECAME CONCERNED THAT HE HAD SWALLOWED A PORTION OF IT. DX: EPIGASTRIC PAIN.
28YOM REPORTS WITH FOREIGN BODY SENSATION WHEN HE WAS EATING A HOT DOG AT A BBQ AND BELIEVES THERE WAS A PIECE OF WOODEN KABAB STICK MIXED IN HIS HOT DOG. DX MEDICAL SCREENING
35YOM,BBQ SKEWER FELL ON TOP OF FOOT,DX:CONT FOOT
7YOF WAS EATING DINNER TONIGHT AND THEY WERE HAVING KEBABS ON WOODEN STICKS AND SHE SWALLOWED A PIECE OF THE STICK AND NOW HER THROAT IS SCRATCHY DX: FOREIGN BODY OF TONSIL; THROAT PAIN
17YOF PRESENTED TO ED C/O FOREIGN BODY, THROAT. PT STATED SHE WAS EATING SAUSAGE ON A SKEWER AND FELT FOREIGN BODY IN THROAT. DX; FOREIGN BODY SENSATION IN THROAT
25YOF PRESENTS WITH SPLINTER STUCK IN THE BACK OF HER THROAT AFTER EATING FOOD OFF A KABOB. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN SOFT TISSIE
10YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE WAS EATING CHICKEN SKEWERS WHEN THE WOOD FROM THE CHICKEN SKEWER STICK GOT STUCK IN HIS THROAT. DX: FOREIGN BODY IN PHARYNX
26YOF, WAS EATING MEAT WITH SKEWER IN IT AND BELIEVES PART OF THE SKEWER CAME OFF AND GOT LODGED IN HER POSTERIOR PHARYNX, DX: FEELING OF FOREIGN BODY IN THROAT
21MOM WAS PLAYING OUTSIDE WITH A METAL 2 PRONG SMORES SKEWER AT HOME WHEN HE FELL AND IT PUNCTURED HIS NOSE AND EXITED THROUGH HIS EYELID. DX: PUNCTURE WOUND OF NOSE AND EYELID; EYELID ABRASION; EYE INJURY.
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The product in question is the Dunkin Munchkin Skewer. I see MANY cars with FAMILIES going through the drive thru and of course any kid is going to want 3 munchkins on a stick. But the second they eat the third munchkin, the skewer becomes an 8 inch SWORD. I'm shocked that kids (or adults, for that matter) are being given a hard, pointed stick IN THE CAR!?!
We received a Leeds Model 1400-32 Grill Master Set. The product was a gift from my wife's client. It was provided by a third party seller but we do not know which one. The set included 4 skewers. My son used the new set for the first time last week. There is apparently plastic inside the skewer parts that melted on to the grill trays, briefly catching fire and dripping melted plastic on to the trays. We contacted Leeds and they said that the skewer is intended to be used as two separate pieces, an inside one that goes on the grill and then this is to be inserted in to the outside one for serving. The plastic was apparently in the outside one. However, the skewer came assembled and it was not obvious (at least to my 17 year old son) that there were two parts. There were no directions with the set. This needs corrected to prevent someone's house from burning down.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to food skewers on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Food Skewers: cross-group products nearest on danger score (33/100), estimated annual ER visits (655/yr), and hospitalization share (3.8%). 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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging
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, Food Skewers ranks #526 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #574 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does food skewers rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, food skewers ranks #526 by PlainSafety danger score (33/100) and #574 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (655/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from food skewers?
The most common injury is puncture to the hand, accounting for approximately 1,363 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from food skewers increasing or decreasing?
Up 24% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for food skewers injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,281 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by food skewers?
Of all ER visits involving food skewers, approximately 3.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with food skewers?
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.