Hoists, Lifts, Jacks Or Jack Stands
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 814
Down 57% over 5 years
The verdict
Hoists, Lifts, Jacks Or Jack Stands carry a danger score of 36/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 13,883 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 57% over the last five years.
- 36/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 13,883
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 814 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume13,883 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.5%
- Fatality rate0.12%
- 5-year trend-57%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Hoists, Lifts, Jacks Or Jack Stands (CPSC product code 814, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 13,883 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 277,669 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 36/100 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 57% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (18,632 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (4,299 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 15,877 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the finger (14,550 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 58,842 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 6.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.12%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 32 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands 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 | 2,724 | 946 | |
| 5-14 | 6,360 | 1,901 | |
| 15-24 | 43,270 | 5,516 | |
| 25-34 | 51,466 | 7,361 | |
| 35-44 | 45,296 | 5,942 | |
| 45-54 | 40,708 | 5,109 | |
| 55-64 | 27,828 | 2,871 | |
| 65-74 | 16,562 | 2,092 | |
| 75+ | 8,431 | 3,126 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Hand | Fracture | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Hand | Crushing | |
| Lower Arm | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
48YOM GOT HIS MIDDLE FINGER ON HIS LEFT HAND STUCK IN A PULLEY MACHINE DEGLOVING THE DISTAL ASPECT OF HIS LEFT MIDDLE FINGER. DX: LEFT MIDDLE FINGER DEGLOVING
40 YOM WAS CRANKING A WINCH AND HEARD AND FELT HIS LT BICEP TEAR. DX: INJURY OF TENDON OF BICEPS
18YOM C/O FOOT PROBLEM. PATIENT PULLED A PALLET JACK OVER HIS FOOT. PAIN IN LEFT GREAT TOE WITH LIMITED ABILITY TO BEAR WEIGHT. RADIOGRAPH NEGATIVE FOR ACUTE FRACTURE. DX: LEFT GREAT TOE PAIN
22YOM PRESENTS WITH LEFT THUMB INJURY AFTER BEING HIT BY A JACK WHILE WORKING AT HOME. DX: FRACTURE LEFT THUMB DISTAL PHALANX NONDISPLACED OPEN
22 YOM R INDEX FINGER CAUGHT IN WINCH DX; FINGER LAC
21 YOF HIT IN HEAD BY PULLEY DX: CONCUSSION W/O LOC
17YOM PRESENTS WITH A CUT ON HIS HEAD. HE WAS WALKING UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS AND HIT HIS HEAD ON A METAL LIFT, SUSTAINING A LACERATION TO THE FRONT OF HIS SCALP. 3 CM LINEAR LACERATION TO THE FRONTAL SCALP, APPROXIMATELY 1 CM BACK FROM HAIRLINE. DX: LACERATION OF SCALP
33 YOM WORKING ON HIS CAR, CAR SLIPPED OFF ONTO HAND DX CRUSH INJURY HAND
21YOM PATIENT PRESENTS AFTER HIS FINGER GOT CAUGHT IN A PULLEY SYSTEM. HE HAS A DISTAL AMPUTATION WITH BLEEDING. DX: NOT STATED
43YOF PATIENT WAS DOING MAINTENANCE ON HER CAR WHEN SHE DROPPED A METAL PULLEY ONTO HER FOOT. SHE HAD IMMEDIATE PAIN AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLEEDING. DX: FOOT ABRASION, FOOT PAIN
56 YOM USING A WINCH, WINCH BROKE AND VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING AWAY. PT WAS RUN OVER BY ROLLING VEHICLE DX BRAVO TRAUMA
20 YOM CHANGING A FLAT TIRE, JACK SLIPPED, HURT FINGER. DX FINGER CONTUSIONS
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I used the hi lift to store my kayak above my car in the garage. Straps never saw sun or rain. While lowering the kayak one day the straps just broke. Upon further investigation, I noticed the straps were very fragile. I could tear them easily with my hands. I took the entire system down. Luckily no one was hurt or damage to personal property
The Green staps on my Hi-Lift hoist broke within the first 6 months
Strap on storage lift broke, dropping canoe on floor. Canoe was dented and scraped, no other injury or damage occurred.
I purchased a hydraulic lift table, item 60438, from Harbor Freight on 9/21/2022. Upon getting it home I went over it with a fine tooth comb considering what happened with their jack stands recently. The welds around the hydraulic unit are unacceptable and unsafe, and harbor freight is refusing to replace the parts or the item, saying it is unavailable. I just purchased this 5 days ago, and to have no support is ridiculous. I have pictures available of these welds, which are unsafe for any lifting application and the fact that this passed inspection given the company's recent history is ridiculous.
The equipment storage system was attached directly to the roof beams inside my shed and used to hang a large cartop storage box (empty) weighing about 50 lbs. I walked into the shed one day and one of the straps was broken and the cartop box was hanging down and resting on some other items, still partially suspended by the 2nd strap. As I carefully lowered the box down to remove it, the other strap failed as well. I had used this strap system for about 18 months and lowered and raised the cartop carrier 8-10 times in that period. There had never been any real dynamic loads on the straps and never any sign of failure/wear.
StoreYourBoard Cargo Box Ceiling Storage Hoist, Rooftop Carriers Hi Lift Garage Pulley Hanger Rack. The green straps that came with the product broke, causing the cargo box to crash to the garage floor. We had just raised the box before the accident happened. We were standing nearby but not underneath when it happened so no one was hurt. This happened in August but we didn't research how to report it until we received a recall notice from Amazon. UPC/SKU: B079Q6VBTP Purchased from Amazon. 03/21/2019 - [REDACTED]
My boat lift which I purchased 2014 had the chain break inside the winch in 2016. I replaced the chain with a new chain and that one broke last week send my boat crashing into the lake. In looking for answers on the internet I see that Hewitt has a recall for this incident. However my boat lift is not made by [REDACTED] it is made by Summit Marine. They claimed they knew nothing of the [REDACTED] recall. Summit does not reply to questions as to if there may be common supplied parts.
Product: FLEXIMOUNTS Overhead Garage Storage Rack Lift Ceiling Storage Lift System Heavy Duty 4 x 4 FT Black The product failed and dumped the contents. I was injured when the failed corner hit my head when the contents shifted and the contents pushed me about causing large bruising on my right leg as well. This is in my garage and was storing household items off the floor. The cable failed and the contents shifted and fell onto items below.
Showing 8 of 32 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands have a danger score of 36/100 (low risk). An estimated 13,883 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 15,877 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands increasing or decreasing?
Down 57% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 58,842 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands?
Of all ER visits involving hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands, approximately 6.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with hoists, lifts, jacks or jack stands?
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 36/100 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.
