Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Kerosene ranks #419 of 838 by danger score (35/100) at ER-volume #600 of 838 (551/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #419
- danger rank of 838
- #600
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 35/100
- danger score
- 551/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 (35/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
35 Lower than most lower than 50% 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: 42/100
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) | 19 | 92nd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 551 | 26th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -41% | 11th | 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 11,024 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 963. Segments sum to 11,024 - 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 Home Workshop Tools & Equipment 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.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment danger scores
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for kerosene - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 551 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 18.6% Very high admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-41%
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 kerosene are declining by about 41% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2011 (794 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (240 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,007 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the face (1,803 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,805 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 18.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
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 kerosene 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 | 1,528 | 1,277 | |
| 5-14 | 238 | 257 | |
| 15-24 | 965 | 295 | |
| 25-34 | 1,299 | 409 | |
| 35-44 | 1,230 | 519 | |
| 45-54 | 655 | 398 | |
| 55-64 | 576 | 394 | |
| 65-74 | 268 | 206 | |
| 75+ | 476 | 32 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Hand | Burn, Chemical | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Chemical | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Leg | Derma/conjunct | |
| Upper Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Trunk | Burn, Chemical |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
49 YOM HURT BACK CARRIED KEROSENE FILLED KEROSENE HEATER DX LUMBAR STRAIN
77 YOM C/O HAND BURN AND FACIAL BURN S/P TRHEW A SMOLDERING CIGAR INTO A BURNING PILE WITH KEROSENE PUT ONTO IT AND A FLAME CAME UP AND BURNED PATIENT. IT IS NOT STATED IF FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTENDED. PATIENT LEFT AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE. DX: HAND BURN; FACIAL BURN
46YOM PT DRANK OUT OF AN UNLABELED BOTTLE THINKING IT WAS WATER; ENDED UP TO BE KEROSENE DX: INGESTION OF FOREIGN SUBSTANCE
44YOF PT DRANK WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS WATER FROM AN UNLABELLED BOTTLE; ENDED UP BEING KEROSENE, PT IMMEDIATELY VOMITED DX: INGESTION OF FOREIGN SUBSTANCE
44YOF WAS POURING KEROSENE INTO SMALLER CONTAINERS LAST NIGHT USING IT TO LIGHT A FIRE, NOTICED HER LEGS FELT LIKE THEY WERE BURNING DX: BILATERAL LOWER LEGS CHEMICAL BURNS
22YOM-PATIENT STATES THAT HE WAS TRYING TO START A FIRE AND USED KEROSENE TO START IT AND IT CAME BACK AND GOT HIS HAND. DX: FIRST DEGREE BURN RIGHT HAND
60 YOM WAS COOKING DOWN FENTANYL WITH A KEROSENE TORCH WHEN IT EXPLODED AND CAUGHT PATIENTS CLOTHING ON FIRE. +BURNS CHEST, LEFT SHOULDER, NECK, FACE, LEFT EAR, HEAD. +FD. DX: BURN INVOLVING 10-19% OF BODY SURFACE
13 YOF ACCIDENTALLY DRANK KEROSENE THAT WAS IN A WATER BOTTLEDX: ACCIDENTAL POISONING BY KEROSENE
41 YOM WAS SITTING AROUND A KEROSENE FIRE WHEN HE WENT TO ADD KEROSENE AND THE FLAMES WENT UP AND BURNED HIM. +BURNS BILATERAL FOREARMS. FD NSDX: BURN
20YOF, PACKING FOR CAMPING TRIP, HAD A LANTERN ON BED WHICH LEAKED KEROSENE&DIDN'T REALIZE UNTL WENT TO BED, NO WITH UPPER BACK DX: CHEMICAL BURN
3YOF was found w/ brother sitting w/ a loosely closed bottle of *** #9 Gun Cleaner product this morning that had been stored in a large drawer. Pt had the product on her hands, possibly some around mouth. None spilled, maybe 1oz less. Pt endorses herself that she drank some from the bottle. Main ingredient in product is kerosene (hydrocarbon) and isopropyl. DX: Ingestion of substance
15MOM was found w/ 3YO sister sitting w/ a losely capped bottle of *** Gun Cleaner product this morning, was stored in a large drawer. Pt had the product on hands, possibly some around mouth. None spilled, maybe 1oz less in bottle. Main ingredient in product is kerosene (hydrocarbon) + isopropyl in it. DX: Accidental ingestion of gun cleaning product
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to kerosene on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Kerosene: cross-group products nearest on danger score (35/100), estimated annual ER visits (551/yr), and hospitalization share (18.6%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
- Air Compressors (separate) Home Communication & Entertainment 35
- Aquariums Or Accessories Sports & Recreation Equipment 35
- Archery (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment 35
- Art Or Ceramics Supplies And Equipment (excl. Paintbrushes) Home Structures & Construction Materials 35
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 Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
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, Kerosene ranks #419 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #600 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does kerosene rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, kerosene ranks #419 by PlainSafety danger score (35/100) and #600 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (551/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from kerosene?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,007 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from kerosene increasing or decreasing?
Down 41% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for kerosene injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,805 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by kerosene?
Of all ER visits involving kerosene, approximately 18.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (81.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with kerosene?
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.