Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Hot Water ranks #63 of 838 by danger score (44/100) at ER-volume #60 of 838 (42,798/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #63
- danger rank of 838
- #60
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 44/100
- danger score
- 42,798/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 (44/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
44 Higher than most more dangerous than 90% 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: 65/100
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) | 11 | 79th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 42,798 | 93rd | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -4% | 59th | 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 855,977 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1934. Segments sum to 855,977 - 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 Transportation & Substances 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.
Transportation & Substances danger scores
How this 44/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for hot water - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 42,798 ER visits/yr Very high volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 11.2% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.01% Low fatality rate
- 5-year trend-4%
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 hot water are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (55,913 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (35,241 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is burn, scald to the hand, accounting for approximately 131,814 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, scald to the foot (124,701 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 145,419 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 11.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) 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 hot water 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 | 79,695 | 65,684 | |
| 5-14 | 52,985 | 73,160 | |
| 15-24 | 38,159 | 74,429 | |
| 25-34 | 41,157 | 80,619 | |
| 35-44 | 35,501 | 66,947 | |
| 45-54 | 34,497 | 61,053 | |
| 55-64 | 31,899 | 43,188 | |
| 65-74 | 17,086 | 26,685 | |
| 75+ | 11,013 | 22,014 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Foot | Burn, Scald | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Scald | |
| Finger | Burn, Scald | |
| Wrist | Burn, Scald | |
| Shoulder | Burn, Scald | |
| Upper Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| Ankle | Burn, Scald | |
| Neck | Burn, Scald | |
| Knee | Burn, Scald |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
5YOF PRESENTS TO ED FOR BURN TO RT HAND. PT WAS HOLDING A HOT MUG OF TEA AND WENT OT SET IT DOWN ON TABLE ADN SPILLED ONTO DORSAL AND PALMAR SURFACES OF RT HAND. MOTHER IMMEDIATELY PUT HAND UNDER COLD RUNNIGN WATER AND PLACED COLD DAMP COMPRESS AND BROUGHT HER TO ED. DX: SUPERFICIAL BURN RT HAND. UNSPECIFIED SITE OF HAND.
60YOM WITH BURN TO HIS LEFT FOOT FROM HOT WATER. PATIENT HAS DIABETIC NEUROPATHY SO HE DIDN'T FEEL THE BURN.DX: SINGLE SECOND DEGREE SCALD BURN LEFT FOOT.
12MOM PRESENT SOT ED W/ ANTERIOR ABDOMEN, RT DISTAL ARM, RT THUMB, LEFT DISTAL ARM, LEFT FOOT AND UPPER THIGH BURN. AROUND 4 THIS AFTERNOON PER PARENTS A POT OF TEA FELL ON PT. PT WAS WEARING CLOTHES AT TIME. QUICKLY REMOVED CLOTHES PUT COLD WATER ON SKIN. NO LOC OR DIFF BREATHING. DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURNS OF MULTIPLE SITES
52YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR BURN OVER BILATERAL FEET. PT REPORTEDLY GOT INTO HOT BATHTUB YESTERDAY AND BURNED FEET. W/ NEXT FEW HOURS STARTED TO HAVE BILSTERS FORMED. CARE GIVER BROUGHT PT TO ED. DX: BURN (BILATERAL DORSAL FEET)
28YOF PRESENTS WITH SCALP PAIN. STATES WAS DIPPING HER BRAIDS/HAIR IN BOILING WATER WHEN SHE ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED WATER OR SCALP AND RIGHT EAR. DX: ERYTHEMA DUE TO BURN (FIRST DEGREE)
14 YOF WAS COOKING PASTA LAST NIGHT AND SPILLED BOILING WATER ON HER RIGHT HAND AND THIGH DX BURNS
33YOF PATIENT WAS CARRYING A BUCKET OF HOT WATER IN HER HOUSE WHEN SHE TRIPPED AND SPILLED HOT WATER OVER HER LEFT AND RIGHT ARM. DX: BURN
3 YOF WAS AT HOME AND PULLED A POT OF BOIING WATER OFF THE STOVE AND ONTO HERSELF, + BURNS TO CHEST, ABDOMEN, FLANK, UPPER BACK, SHOULDER. DX: SCALD BURNS TO TORSO
65YOF WITH BURN TO FOOT AFTER SPILLED BOILING WATER ON FOOT. DX: SUPERFICAL PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF FOOT
67YOF PT MAKING TEA & WAS BURNED BY STEAM TO RT HAND DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF BACK OF HAND
27YOF WAS COOKING WITH HOT WATER WHEN IT SPALSHED ONTO BREAST AND ABDOMEN. DX: BURNS TO BREAST, ABDOMEN
35YOM WAS USING BOILING WATER AND ACCIDENTAL POURED IT ONTO HIS LEFT HAND. DX FIRST DEGREE BURN TO LEFT HAND
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to hot water on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Transportation & Substances
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Hot Water: cross-group products nearest on danger score (44/100), estimated annual ER visits (42,798/yr), and hospitalization share (11.2%). 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.
- Fire Or Smoke Alarms Home Heating & Cooling Equipment 11.2%admitted
- Two-wheeled, Powered, Off-road Vehicles Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 11.2%admitted
- Cords, Electrical, Other Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings 11.1%admitted
- Outdoor Patio Heaters Or Firepits (manufactured) Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares 11.1%admitted
Related Products in Transportation & Substances
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, Hot Water ranks #63 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #60 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does hot water rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, hot water ranks #63 by PlainSafety danger score (44/100) and #60 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (42,798/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from hot water?
The most common injury is burn, scald to the hand, accounting for approximately 131,814 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from hot water increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for hot water injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 145,419 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by hot water?
Of all ER visits involving hot water, approximately 11.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (88.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with hot water?
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.