Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes
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.
Building Materials & Home Structures · CPSC Code 1812
Down 28% over 5 years
The verdict
Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes carry a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 8,087 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 28% over the last five years.
- 40/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 8,087
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 12.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1812 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
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 volume8,087 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)12.4%
- Fatality rate0.07%
- 5-year trend-28%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Gutters, Drainpipes, Downspouts Or Run-off Pipes (CPSC product code 1812, in the Building Materials & Home Structures category) generate an estimated 8,087 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 161,748 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 40/100 for this category (moderate 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 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 for gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes 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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, gutters, drainpipes, downspouts or run-off pipes have a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 8,087 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
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.
Related Products in Building Materials & Home Structures
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 40/100 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 25-34 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.
