Ironing Boards Or Covers
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.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 408
Down 23% over 5 years
The verdict
Ironing Boards Or Covers carry a danger score of 34/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,256 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 23% over the last five years.
- 34/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,256
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 9.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 408 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for ironing boards or covers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,256 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)9.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-23%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Ironing Boards Or Covers (CPSC product code 408, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 1,256 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 25,117 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 34/100 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 23% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (2,392 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (680 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for ironing boards or covers is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 2,398 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (1,334 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 5,686 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 9.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how ironing boards or covers 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 | 3,477 | 2,209 | |
| 5-14 | 1,238 | 1,118 | |
| 15-24 | 625 | 887 | |
| 25-34 | 534 | 1,122 | |
| 35-44 | 537 | 1,301 | |
| 45-54 | 548 | 1,205 | |
| 55-64 | 578 | 2,051 | |
| 65-74 | 394 | 1,637 | |
| 75+ | 384 | 5,267 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
19YOF PRESENTS AFTER SHE WAS HIT IN THE TOP OF HER HEAD BY AN IRONING BOARD. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
81YOF C/O FALL, SHE CLOSED HER DOOR AND BUMPED INTO AN IRONING BOARD AND CAUSED HER TO FALL. DX;BACK CONTUSION
91YOF STS TRIPPED OVER THE IRONING BOARD, FELL BACKWARDS HIT BACK OF HEAD ON FLOOR DX MECHANICAL FALL CLOSED HEAD INJURY, ABRASION
74 YOF C/O WEAKNESS, INJ TO HEAD AFTER FALL STRIKING AN IRONING BOARD AT HOME DX CONTUSION SCALP
5 YOM WITH TOE LACERATION. MOM REPORTS JUST PRIOR TO ARRIVAL HE WAS JUMPING AROUND AND SHE THINKS THAT THE IRONING BOARD FELL ON HIS TOE. DX LACERATION RIGHT GREAT TOE WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY
56YOF PATIENT SLIPPED IN HER BASEMENT AND HIT HER HEAD 2 DAYS AGO, SHE WAS HOLDING ONTO AN IRONING BOARD DX: VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE, FALL, CONCUSSION WITH LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS OF 30 MINUTES OR LESS
17MOM PRESENTS WITH PARENTS WHO STATE THAT SUNDAY PATIENT WAS RUNNING AND RAN INTO AN IRONING BOARD AND FELL TO THE GROUND. NO LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
73YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED AS TRAUMA ALERT AFTER THE FALL. STATES THAT SHE WAS WALKING TO THE BED FROM THE BATHROOM, WHEN SHE FELT DIZZY AND FELL BACKWARD. STATES THAT HE HIT THE BACK OF THE HEAD ON A IRONING BOARD. DX: HYPOMAGNESEMIA , DIZZINESS, SYNCOPE AND COLLAPSE
31YOM WAS HELPING LIFT THE REAR TIRE OF TRUCK ONTO A RAMP AND THE TIRE CAME DOWN ONTO HIS HAND DX RT HAND CRUSHING INJURY
46YOF, COMING IN COMPLAINING OF PAIN TO HER LEFT FOOT, STATES SYMPTOMS BEGAN AFTER SHE DROPPED AN IRONING BOARD ONTO IT 1 WEEK AGO, THE PAIN WORSENED AFTER SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY STEPPED ON HER FOOT TODAY, DX: LEFT FOOT PAIN
78YOF STATES SHE WAS BENDING OVER AND THE DOOR WAS OPEN UNDERNEATH THE IRONING BOARD THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE WALL. THE IRON BOARD FELL AND HIT BACK OF PT HEAD. DX: TRAUMATIC INJURY OF HEAD
70YOF DROPPED AND IRONING BOARD ON TOP OF LEFT FOOT DX: CONTUSION FOOT
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The consumer says it burns very easily. She says there are charcoal marks on it. She says she has never burned her clothing and her iron works fine. The consumer says that she laid her iron down flat for a few seconds and the spot got very brown. She says that she bought the cover to replace her previous ironing board cover which she had for 15 years and this never happened before.
Used ironing board to iron clothes when metal support arm detached from board. After review of damage, the weld failed that connected the arm to the main board. No injuries, but given the usage with hot and heavy items (Irons), there is high potential for injury. After a review of same product on Amazon. Multiple individuals reported of the same issue.
Caller stated that while his spouse was using the iron board it broke and she fell on her knees with the hot iron in her hands. He stated that where it was it was fastened together gave way. No medical attention was received. (12/2015) The retailer was contacted, the product was returned and they were advised that the product did not fail because of a manufactured error. Caller is concerned that this iron board is a safety hazard and should be recalled.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to ironing boards or covers on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are ironing boards or covers?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, ironing boards or covers have a danger score of 34/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,256 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from ironing boards or covers?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 2,398 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from ironing boards or covers increasing or decreasing?
Down 23% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for ironing boards or covers injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 5,686 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by ironing boards or covers?
Of all ER visits involving ironing boards or covers, approximately 9.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (90.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with ironing boards or covers?
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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 34/100 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 0-4 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.
