Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes ranks #173 of 838 by danger score (40/100) at ER-volume #231 of 838 (8,087/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #173
- danger rank of 838
- #231
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 40/100
- danger score
- 8,087/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 (40/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
40 Higher than most more dangerous than 75% 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: 53/100
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) | 13 | 84th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 8,087 | 68th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -28% | 24th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 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 161,795 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1812. Segments sum to 161,795 - 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 Building Materials & Home Structures 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.
Building Materials & Home Structures danger scores
How this 40/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 8,087 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 12.4% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.07% Above-typical fatality rate
- 5-year trend-28%
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 gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes are declining by about 28% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2019 (10,681 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2024 (5,946 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 9,038 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the finger (8,941 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 26,233 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 12.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.07%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes 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 | 1,442 | 1,138 | |
| 5-14 | 7,232 | 2,924 | |
| 15-24 | 11,651 | 3,271 | |
| 25-34 | 21,045 | 5,188 | |
| 35-44 | 21,007 | 3,798 | |
| 45-54 | 19,445 | 4,642 | |
| 55-64 | 18,767 | 6,739 | |
| 65-74 | 13,921 | 4,743 | |
| 75+ | 8,813 | 5,989 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Foot | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
38 YOM HIT TOE ON A PIPE DX CONTUSION TOE
44 YOM PRESENTS FOLLOWING FALL FROM A 9 FT ROOF WHILE CLEANING THE GUTTERS AT HOME. ADMITTED TO HAVING DRANK 2 BEERS EARLIER. ETOH 144. DX: CLOSED L TIBIAL FRACTURE, ACCIDENTAL FALL FROM BUILDING.
76YOF FOR EVAL OF BACK PAIN. SHORTLY PTA PT REPORTS SHE WAS CLEANING GUTTERS ON HER HOUSE ON A LADDER WHICH SLIPPE SIDEWARYS CAUSING HER TO FALL AN EXTIMATED 10 FEET. LANDED FLAT ON HER BACK. DENIES STRIKING HEAD OR LOC. WAS ABLE TO GET UP SLOWLY OF HER OWN ACCORD AFTER THE FALL,MOVING ALL EXTREMITIES NORMALLY. DX: LOW BACK PAIN
41YOM C/O LAC TO HAND. HE WAS CLEANING OUT THE GUTTERS AND HE CUT HIS HAND. DX;LAC OF LEFT HAND.
67YOM PATIENT WAS WALKING AND TRIPPED ON THE GUTTER, HAS ABRASIONS AND A HEMATOMA TO HIS HEAD DX: FALL, LACERATION OF MARGIN OF RIGHT EYELID, LACERATION OF EYEBROW AND FOREHEAD, ACUTE PAIN OF LEFT SHOULDER, ABRASIONS OF MULTIPLE SITES, RIGHT HAND PAIN, HEMATOMA
37 YOM WAS TRYING TO JUMP OVER A RAIN/WATER GUTTER. PATIENT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED FUNNY ON HIS LEFT ANKLE AND FELL DOWN. DX: DISPLACED PILON FRACTURE OF RIGHT TIBIA.
86 YOF WAS CLEANING HER GUTTERS TODAY WHEN THE LADDER MOVED BENEATH HER CAUSING HER TO FALL. DX: FRACTURE SHAFT OF RIGHT CLAVICLE.
37 YOM WITH NECK AND BILATERAL WRIST PAIN AFTER FALLING OFF OF A HOUSE. PATIENT STARTED OUT ALMOST 16 FEET UP BUT ON THE WAY DOWN DURING THE FALL PATIENT WAS ABLE TO GRAB ONTO THE GUTTER AND A SHATTER WITH BOTH HANDS AND CHANGED HIS TRAJECTORY FROM FALLING BACKWARDS TO FALLING FORWARDS. DX STRAIN NECK MUSCLE, FALL, CLOSED FRACTURE SCAPHOID ON BOTH WRISTS
43YOF WAS ON A LADDER CLEANING HER GUTTERS WHEN THE LADDER SLIPPED AND SHE FELL DX: CONCUSSION, CONTUSION TO PELVIS
8YOF WAS RUNNING BAREFOOT AT HOME WHEN SHE STRUCK HER LEFT FOOT ON THE EDGE OF A GUTTER DX: LACERATION FOOT
45YOM PRESENTING WITH RIGHT WRIST PAIN AFTER GETTING HIS CANE STUCK IN A WATER DRAIN IN INJURING HIS WRIST. PATIENT STATES PAIN AND A FEELING A SCREW UNDER HIS SKIN WHICH SHE BELIEVES IS SHIFTED. POST RADIAL FX IN 7/2023. DX: CLOSED FX OF THE DISTAL END OF THE RT RADIUS.
72YOF, TRIPPED OVER A GUTTER FALLING FACE FIRST ONTO CONCRETE SURFACE NO LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS OR BLOOD THINNERS DX: FACIAL LACERATION; HEAD INJURY; CLOSED FRACTURE OF NASAL BONE; CONTUSION OF RIGHT KNEE
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Building Materials & Home Structures
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes: cross-group products nearest on danger score (40/100), estimated annual ER visits (8,087/yr), and hospitalization share (12.4%). 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 Building Materials & Home Structures
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, Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes ranks #173 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #231 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes ranks #173 by PlainSafety danger score (40/100) and #231 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (8,087/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 9,038 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes increasing or decreasing?
Down 28% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 26,233 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes?
Of all ER visits involving gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes, approximately 12.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (87.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes?
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.