Glass Bathtub Or Shower Enclosures
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 Furnishings & Fixtures · CPSC Code 609
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Glass Bathtub Or Shower Enclosures carry a danger score of 35/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,912 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 35/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,912
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 609 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for glass bathtub or shower enclosures - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,912 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.1%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-6%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Glass Bathtub Or Shower Enclosures (CPSC product code 609, in the Home Furnishings & Fixtures category) generate an estimated 2,912 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 58,239 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 35/100 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 roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2018 (4,307 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2011 (1,434 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for glass bathtub or shower enclosures is laceration to the hand, accounting for approximately 6,981 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the foot (6,367 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 10,130 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 4.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 427 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how glass bathtub or shower enclosures 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 | 2,753 | 2,224 | |
| 5-14 | 4,349 | 4,054 | |
| 15-24 | 4,832 | 5,298 | |
| 25-34 | 2,785 | 4,648 | |
| 35-44 | 2,915 | 3,714 | |
| 45-54 | 2,839 | 2,957 | |
| 55-64 | 1,700 | 2,258 | |
| 65-74 | 2,454 | 2,207 | |
| 75+ | 3,000 | 3,226 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Elbow | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Leg | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
15 YOM HAS BILAT FEET AND HANDS ABRASIONS AND LACERATIONS FROM A GLASS SHOWER DOOR THAT SHATTERED. DX: FINGER LAC, MULTIPLE ABRASIONS
74YOM FALL INTO GLASS SHOWER DOOR AND C/O LAC AND ABRASIONS TO LEGDX SHIN LAC
33 YOF SUSTAINED THREE SMALL CUTS TO HER LEFT LOWER ARM WHEN GLASS SHOWER DOOR SHATTERED, DX: FOREARM LACERATIONS
56YOF WAS OPENING A GLASS SHOWER DOOR WHEN IT SHATTERED AND CUT HER LEFT FOREARM DX: LACERATION FOREARM, LACERATION THUMB
8 YOF WAS TAKING A SHOWER THEN THE GLASS DOOR SUDDENLY SHATTERED CAUSING PT LACERATIONS TO HIS FEET AND RIGHT HAND, NO HEAD INJURY, DX: LACERATION LEFT FOOT, LACERATION RIGHT FOOT, LACERATION RIGHT HAND
33YOM PT FELL & STRUCK HEAD ON WAY TO BATHROOM; HIT HEAD ON SHOWER DOOR NO DX
20YOF PATIENT REPORTS THAT THE GLASS SHOWER DOOR SHATTERED, SHE HAS CUTS ON HER LEFT FOOT, FINGER, AND PUNCTURE WOUNDS TO INNER THIGH. DX: LACERATION
10YOM WAS IN THE SHOWER WHEN HE CLOSED THE GLASS SHOWER ENCLOSURE AND IT BROKE GLASS STRUCK LEFT SHOULDER DX: LACERATION TO LEFT SHOULDER
75YOM,DIZZINESS,GOT INTO SHOWER,FELL THRU GLASS DOOR,HIT LEG,DX:LEG LAC
84 YOM CHEST WALL PAIN & RT HAND LAC AFTER PT TRIPPED & FELL INTO THE SHOWER GLASS DOOR HITTING HIS CHEST & HAND. DX: FALL; CHEST WALL CONTUSION; LAC OF RT HAND
22YOM WITH LAC TO TOE FROM SHOWER DOOR DX: TOE LAC
17 YOM +ETOH USE WAS ANGRY AND PUNCHED A GLASS SHOWER DOOR CUTTING HIS MIDDLE AND PINKY FINGERS. ALSO HAS A SMALL SKIN TEAR TO 5TH FINGER, BAC NOT DONE DX LACERATIONS
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I was taking a shower and the tempered safety glass (decolav tempered safety glass - 16cfr - 120 - 11 - ANSI) shattered on top of me causing a 4 stitches in my fingers and lacerations all over my body. I do think this was made worsened by poor installation by my landlord as the frame for the glass was never sturdy.
The consumer stated that sometime between 09/04 and 09/07, the glass shower door in his home exploded. No one was at home at the time. When he returned home, glass from the shower door was all the bathroom. The temperature in the room was about 80 degrees. (09/08/2015) The consumer contact that firm to advised them of the incident. He was advised that it does happen occasionally. The consumer was offered a replacement shower door at a 20% discount. He stated that he is not sure that he wants another glass door. The consumer indicated he threw the glass away.
I was taking a shower, was rinsing my hair with my eyes closed. Glass shower door exploded. Fortitude, I wasn't seriously injured. I got some small cuts. Glass shot across the entire bathroom and filled the toilet. Tiny shards are everywhere.
My husband and I were staying at the Bayridge Condos in Fort Lauderdale, FL. On July 15th, the second night into our stay, I was exiting the shower and the glass door, made by FLEURCO, combusted. The glass shattered everywhere, and as a result, I sustained cuts to my hands, thighs and feet. I now have permanent scarring due to the incident. The property owner was alerted of the accident right away, but we recently just received the manufacturer's name. I reached out to the manufacturer, FLEURCO, today via an online form and I'm waiting to hear how this will be resolved.
Shortly after showering, while drying off, the glass shower door spontaneously shattered. The door was not being touched, bumped, or moved when this happened. It shattered explosively, with hardware, metal handle, and broken glass flying away from the shower and covering every surface of the bathroom. The flying hardware pieces damaged wall and floor tiles, and the broken glass caused injuries to our daughter, who was nearest the door at the time of the incident. She had to receive emergency care at the hospital for lacerations and embedded glass, including multiple x-rays, sedation, and wound care.
Replacing old shower doors and installing a new Kohler Sterling Finesse Semi-frameless sliding shower doors (model 5475-48S-G03). I hung both shower doors then took outside door off, adjusted its rollers and rehung it on the track to make sure it was aligned. Then took the inside shower door off, readjusted a roller and was holding it up in the air in process of rehanging it back onto its track when it shattered/blew up in my hands. I was standing inside of the shower and most of the glass fell straight down inside of shower pan and onto me, had glass shards blow out across bathroom floor and into hallway about 9 ft from the shower. Had small cuts on bottom of legs (was wearing shorts).
Purchased a Sterling Vista Pivot II glass shower door (Kholer product) in November 2011 was installed in December by a contractor who built my utility/Bathroom addition. Was fine until last night. I awoke to a sound like someone was breaking into my house when I got close to my bathroom heard a funny type of popping noise. When approaching my bathroom was astonished to find that the entire shower door was in tiny bits all over my bathroom and inside my shower. No one was in bathroom and it was 4:00 am in morning, every one asleep. This is a product defect, after searching over the internet and reading here, this has happened quite a bit with the same shower door, and happens more than we think according to all the people writing about it on the internet.
Glass shower door spontaneously exploded Risk to human and animal life, due to flying glass shards and shattered glass on the floor. thank you.
Showing 8 of 427 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to glass bathtub or shower enclosures on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are glass bathtub or shower enclosures?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, glass bathtub or shower enclosures have a danger score of 35/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,912 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from glass bathtub or shower enclosures?
The most common injury is laceration to the hand, accounting for approximately 6,981 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from glass bathtub or shower enclosures increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for glass bathtub or shower enclosures injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 10,130 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by glass bathtub or shower enclosures?
Of all ER visits involving glass bathtub or shower enclosures, approximately 4.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with glass bathtub or shower enclosures?
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 Furnishings & Fixtures
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 35/100 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 15-24 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.
