Keys, Key Rings Or Key Chains
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.
Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1643
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Keys, Key Rings Or Key Chains carry a danger score of 37/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 5,330 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 37/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 5,330
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1643 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 37/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for keys, key rings or key chains - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume5,330 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.9%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-3%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Keys, Key Rings Or Key Chains (CPSC product code 1643, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 5,330 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 106,604 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 37/100 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 roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2023 (6,629 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (3,930 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for keys, key rings or key chains is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 9,269 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the finger (7,430 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 17,448 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 5.9% 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 keys, key rings or key chains 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 | 8,934 | 5,609 | |
| 5-14 | 6,438 | 4,762 | |
| 15-24 | 8,591 | 8,181 | |
| 25-34 | 8,985 | 8,463 | |
| 35-44 | 6,483 | 5,667 | |
| 45-54 | 3,989 | 4,811 | |
| 55-64 | 4,548 | 4,225 | |
| 65-74 | 3,549 | 3,370 | |
| 75+ | 4,339 | 5,646 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Puncture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Finger | Foreign Body |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
27YOM PRESENTS TO THE ER WITH A HAND INJURY. HE STATES HE SLIPPED OUTSIDE AND LANDED FIST DOWN ON THE GROUND WHILE HOLDING HIS KEYS. HE HAS HAD INCREASED SWELLING AND PAIN IN HIS RIGHT HAND DURING THE DAY. DX: FRACTURE FOURTH METACARPAL SHAFT DISPLACED CLOSED RIGHT; FRACTURE FIFTH METACARPAL SHAFT NONDISPLACED CLOSED RIGHT
83 YOF C/O INJ TO HEAD AFTER SLIP AND FALL TO THE GROUND WHILE TALKING, PUTTING KEYS INTO PURSE ON STREET DX CLOSED HEAD INJ HEMATOMA SCALP
10MOF PRESENT TO ED C/F MOC BELIEVES INGESTED A METAL KEYCHAIN 5D AGO.HAS HAD CHRONIC VOMITING W/ FEEDS LIKELY D/T GERD OR FORMULA INTOLERANCE,BUT INCREASED VOMITING SINCE NO BILIOUS EMESIS,HAS BEEN FEEDING/TOLERATING SOLIDS/LIQUIDS,STOOLING NORMALLY,EPISODES OF LETHERAGY RESOLVED.NEGATIVE XR/USDX:GI SX'S
79 YOF WAS HOLDING GROCERIES, PLACED KEYS INTO FRONT DOOR AND THEN WAS ON THE GROUND. DX: FRACTURE DISTAL END OF LEFT FEMUR.
5YOM PRESENTS WITH A KEYCHAIN RING STUCK TO LEFT RING FINGER DX: TIGHT RING ON FINGER
68 YOM WAS PRYING OPEN A KEY FOB WITH A UTILITY KNIFE WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY STABBED SIDE OF FINGER. DX: LACERATION LEFT MIDDLE FINGER WITH FOREIGN BODY.
63 YOM WAS IN HIS TRUCK GOING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED WHEN THE ENGINE EXPLODED. HE GOT OUT, TRIED TO TAKE HIS KEYS OUT, BUT THE TRUCK STARTED UP AGAIN AND HE WAS DRAGGED FOR 25 FT. FD NS. DX: MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION, SMOKE INHALATION, SHORTNESS OF BREATH
20YOM PT SLIPPED & FELL ON ICE FEW DAYS AGO, WHILE CARRYING KEYS IN RT HAND DX: INJURY OF RT HAND, SUPERFICIAL
44 YOF SLIPPED ON ICE WHILE WALKING TO HER CAR THIS MORNING AND FELL WITH HER CAR KEYS STICKING INTO THE PALM OF HER RIGHT HAND. DX: LACERATION LEFT HAND, ACUTE FOREIGN BODY OF PALM RIGHT
32 YOM TURNED TO TAKE THE KEYS OUT OF HIS CAR, SLIPPED ON THE ICE, AND FELL FORWARD STRIKING HIS FACE. DX: SUBLUXATION OF TOOTH, FACIAL ABRASION
60 YOF WITH RIGHT EYE PAIN. SHE ACCIDENTALLY CUT HER EYE WITH A SMALL PLASTIC KEYCHAIN WHILE FIXING HER HAIR WITH HER KEYS IN HER HAND DX ACUTE RIGHT LATERAL SCLERAL HEMATOMA/LACERATION
7YOF PRESENTS IN NO DISTRESS AFTER SWALLOWING A SMALL KEY FROM A JEWELRY BOX DX: SWALLOWED FOREIGN BODY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Torrance Public Library gave my child a keychain that had a measuring tape. He was playing with it and it sliced open his finger.
We had a product tested from a competitor who claims it is made from Magnesium. Two separate tests found that is made of over 93% Cadmium (no Magnesium present). Cadmium is a highly toxic carcinogen that is very regulated.
I recently purchased Purple Safety magnet baby safety locks, and I have serious concerns regarding the safety of the product. The baby lock kit contains twelve adhesive locks for your cabinets and two magnetic keys. I have found that when you accidentally drop the magnetic key( plastic piece about 1.25 inches with a magnet inside) the plastic key pops open and a magnet the size of penny falls out. This has happened many times over the last couple months. The magnet is the diameter of a penny but 3/8 inch thick. It could easily be misplaced when it falls out and a child could find and swallow it. I have contacted purple safety regarding the choking hazard of the small magnet in their poorly designed product. But I thought this should be reported to make sure this safety hazard in baby locks is looked into thoroughly. I have always found the magnet so my children havent been hurt but I think it is very likely that it could happen to someone! Thank you!!
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to keys, key rings or key chains on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are keys, key rings or key chains?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, keys, key rings or key chains have a danger score of 37/100 (low risk). An estimated 5,330 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from keys, key rings or key chains?
The most common injury is ingestion to the internal, accounting for approximately 9,269 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from keys, key rings or key chains increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for keys, key rings or key chains injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 17,448 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by keys, key rings or key chains?
Of all ER visits involving keys, key rings or key chains, approximately 5.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with keys, key rings or key chains?
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 Personal Care & Safety Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 37/100 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.
