Glue Guns
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 Communication & Entertainment · CPSC Code 869
Down 33% over 5 years
The verdict
Glue Guns carry a danger score of 29/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,067 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 33% over the last five years.
- 29/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,067
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 0.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 869 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for glue guns - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,067 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)0.9%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-33%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Glue Guns (CPSC product code 869, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 1,067 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 21,349 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 29/100 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 33% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2018 (1,749 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2011 (646 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for glue guns is burns, thermal to the finger, accounting for approximately 6,553 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the hand (3,400 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 6,888 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 0.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 12 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how glue guns 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 | 602 | 1,066 | |
| 5-14 | 2,275 | 4,613 | |
| 15-24 | 1,074 | 2,230 | |
| 25-34 | 503 | 1,906 | |
| 35-44 | 523 | 1,974 | |
| 45-54 | 269 | 2,205 | |
| 55-64 | 453 | 828 | |
| 65-74 | 125 | 379 | |
| 75+ | 198 | 108 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burn, Scald | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Scald | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
49 YOF BURNED LT MIDDLE FINGER WITH A HOT GLUE GUN AND HAS A BLISTER THAT POPPED ON ITS OWN. DX: CELLULITIS
7YOM WHO BURNED HIS RIGHT WRIST ON A HOT GLUE GUN YESTERDAY. DX: PARTIAL-THICKNESS BURN OF THE RIGHT WRIST.
30YOF PRESENTS FOR A WOUND CHECK OF A BURN FROM A HOT GLUE GUN FROM 1 WEEK AGO. SHE WAS SEEN IN AN URGENT CARE AND GIVEN *** FOR 3 DAYS. SHE HAS ROUGHLY A QUARTER-SIZE CIRCULAR BURN TO THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND, SUPERFICIAL SECOND-DEGREE. OVERLYING LAYER OF GRANULATION TISSUE. DX: BURN HAND BACK SUBSEQUENT LEFT
11YOF,BURNON FINGER FROM HOT GLUE GUN USING TO PUT TOGETHER HALLOWEEN COSTUME,DX:BURN FINGER
9YOF WAS USING A GLUE GUN AND GOT HOT GLUE SPILLED ONTO RIGHT FOREARM DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURNED TO FOREARM
4 YOF BURN TO L HAND ON HOT GLUE GUN DX: BURN
18YOF, ACCIDENTALLY BURNT ARM ONTO HOT GLUE GUN 5 WEEKS AGO, WENT TO URGENT CARE AFTER DEVELOPED BLISTERING AND WOUND ALMOST HEALED BUT VESICULAR EURPTION OCCURRED AROUND THE BURN WHICH MILDLY ITCHY, DX: DERMATITIS
23YOM, WAS USING A HOT GLUE GUN AND SOME OF THE HOT GLUE FELL ONTO HIS RIGHT WRIST AS WELL AS HIS LEFT DISTAL FINGERTIPS FOR 2 FINGERS, DX: SUPERFICIAL BURN
10YOF WAS WORKING WITH A HOT GLUE GUN AND ACCIDENTALLY BURNED HER HAND DX LT THUMB BURN
64YOM, WAS USING HOT GLUE GUN AND ACCIDENTALLY BURNED HIS RIGHT HAND WITH THE HOT GLUE, DX: BURN BY HOT LIQUID
13YOM WAS AT SCHOOL AND FORGOT THAT HE HAD THE GLUE GUN ON ON THE FLOOR AT SCHOOL WHEN HE PUT HIS HAND ON IT. DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF BACK OF RIGHT HAND
8YOM WAS USING A GLUE GUN AND GOT HOT GLUE ONTO RIGHT HAND DX: THERMAL BURN HAND
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I would like to report a faulty glue gun by the company AD TECH. The type is the Hi Temp, 40 Watt model. I need to use a glue gun for my work. This is the FOURTH Ad Tech glue gun I've had that has shorted out and caught on fire, over a span of about 3 years. I leave the glue gun plugged in for about an hour at a time, and I always use the proper glue sticks. Nowhere on the package insert does it say how long of a time to leave the gun plugged in, so I assume this is alright. After a few weeks of usage, I notice a pattern. There is a black rubber piece inside the gun, which keeps the glue stick away from the heating element inside. Over time, this piece begins to weaken, and when it finally breaks, the hot glue touches the inner heating element, which results in an electrical shortage. I have always been right next to the gun when this happens, and it trips the breaker every time, and I've noticed a burst of flame appear from the gun. Whenever this happens, I always need to buy a replacement glue gun, and unfortunately, the nearest store only carries Ad Tech guns. This is why I've witnessed FOUR glue gun failures, because I'm stuck buying the same brand. The only other store that carries glue guns is one hour away. I would like to add that I have gone through probably 8-10 guns in the past 3 years, but not all of them resulted in an electrical shortage. Only four have done this, but the rest begin to have the same problems, with glue jamming, and I usually just throw them away before they finally break and catch fire. These glue guns are a faulty, dangerous product, and I do believe they should be recalled.
This school nurse is reporting that a female, 11 year old student was using an electric glue gun with 10 watt, 110 volt with 50 hz and 44 inch cord purchased from a dollar store in class. The student received a jolt with a loud noise The date of purchase is unknown. Black gun with orange trigger/glue sticks are used and are melted by the heat from the gun. The student was confused and had residual tingling down her left arm. (the student is right handed but she was at the time holding the glue gun in her left hand). Since this incident, teachers have come forward to state that they too had received a jolt from the glue guns while in use. The caller did not feel comfortable providing the students name or ethnic origin. She has contacted the manufacturer and left a message, she is expecting a return call.
Arrow Mini hot glue gun Model mt300 overheated in the classroom and exploded. carbon and hot glue is very dangerous around elementary school children. I have removed the known items from classrooms and have discontinued their use.
During routine normal use, my hot glue gun exploded into a fireball. Sparks and flames with lots of black smoke. It set off my smoke detectors. I have minor burns to my right hand and singed hair. Could have been much worse. The product was originally purchased from AC Moore a few years ago. When researching the model I found many for sale still on [REDACTED]. Brand is "Nicole's Basic Crafts Corner". Model is white with pastel polka dots and came in a kit with glue pad and glue sticks. Package UPC is 717656853361. Safety label on glue gun says: AC-160, GLUE GUN , 120V 60Hz 10W, MADE IN TAIWAN, UL CERTIFIED, SAFETY US E122333. No other model info is marked directly on the glue gun.
I purchased the Dent Repair Kit by Magic Mounts (www.magicmounts.com) at my local PepBoys Auto Store. The kit comes with a glue gun. I followed the instructions for warming the glue gun, and when I pressed the trigger, I saw a flash and heard a pop inside the gun. I pulled the cord from the wall socket expansion and felt that the cord was warm. This had an obvious short, and I was fortunate that this faulty glue gun did not cause a fire. This product is unsafe.
Glue gun was sitting on kitchen counter while plugged in for approx. 15-20 minutes. It made loud popping sound and emitted a 3 inch flame. This is the second glue gun of same brand and model that this has happened to.
Hot glue gun overheated within 5 mins of being plugged in and exploded in my hand. Causing 3rd degree burns and skin graft surgeries.
We've owned and used an Arrow Hot Melt Mini Glue Gun (model MT300) for about 10 years. It has seen limited use. Tonight my son was using the device for a school project and it apparently arced and exploded in his hand. The fire ball scorched his hair and eyebrows which were about 1.5 feet from the tool. It has the UL listing stamp. This is a seriously dangerous product and we are extremely fortunate that he wasn't hurt any worse then he was.
Showing 8 of 12 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to glue guns on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are glue guns?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, glue guns have a danger score of 29/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,067 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from glue guns?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the finger, accounting for approximately 6,553 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from glue guns increasing or decreasing?
Down 33% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for glue guns injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 6,888 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by glue guns?
Of all ER visits involving glue guns, approximately 0.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (99.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with glue guns?
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 Communication & Entertainment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 29/100 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 5-14 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.
