Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers, Powered (excl. Brushcutters)
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.
Lawn & Garden Equipment · CPSC Code 1464
Down 13% over 5 years
The verdict
Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers, Powered (excl. Brushcutters) carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 12,753 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 13% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 12,753
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1464 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume12,753 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.2%
- Fatality rate0.05%
- 5-year trend-13%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers, Powered (excl. Brushcutters) (CPSC product code 1464, in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category) generate an estimated 12,753 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 255,053 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 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 13% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (17,197 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (8,326 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 40,426 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the finger (20,268 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 46,001 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 4.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.05%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 141 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) 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 | 726 | 337 | |
| 5-14 | 4,455 | 962 | |
| 15-24 | 23,007 | 3,315 | |
| 25-34 | 31,936 | 7,211 | |
| 35-44 | 34,943 | 10,465 | |
| 45-54 | 34,805 | 11,196 | |
| 55-64 | 32,435 | 9,965 | |
| 65-74 | 20,727 | 8,037 | |
| 75+ | 14,722 | 5,754 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Leg | Other | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
26YOF WAS USING *** WHEN SHE TRIPPED OVER A TREE BRANCH AND LANDED ON HER LEFT FOOT AND ANKLE. HEAR A POP AND HAS PAIN. DX: SPRAIN OF LEFT FOOT, LEFT ANKLE SPRAIN
81 YOF USING *** YESTERDAY, THUMB NOW BRUISED AND PAINFUL. DX THUMB CONTUSION
51YOF WAS USING A LAWN TRIMMER THINKS SHE GOT TOO HOT. FELT COLD, HOT, THEN STARTED VOMITING.DX: SEVERE HEAT EXHAUSTION.
53YOM PRESENTS WITH RIGHT UPPER BACK/RIB PAIN AFTER ***IN THE YARD. DX: BACK PAIN AND RIB PAIN
54YOM C/O EYE PROBLEM. EYE PAIN AND REDNESS OCCURRED WHILE USING A ***. WAS NOT WEARING SAFETY GLASSES AND FELT SOMETHING GO INTO EYE. NOW WITH FOREIGN BODY SENSATION. EXAMINATION REVEALS NO FB. DX: OCULAR PAIN, LEFT EYE
58 YOM WAS USING A *** AT HOME SLIPPED AND FELL INJURED ANKLE DX SPRAINED ANKLE
73YOM WAS IN HIS YARD USING A *** WHEN HE GOT SOME DIRT IN EYE DX:FOREIGN BODY EYE
70YOM C/O LEFT EYE PAIN. WAS *** TODAY AND FELT SOMETHING FLY INTO HIS LEFT EYE. PAIN IN THE LEFT EYE AND BLURRY VISION SINCE THEN. DX: ABRASION OF LEFT CORNEA
54 YOM CHEST PAIN, SOB WHILE *** DX; CHEST PAIN
48 YOM *** HIS GRASS AND SOMETHING HIT HIM IN L ANKLE DX; ANKLE LAC
67YOF STATES THAT SHE WAS DOING YARD WORK AND *** EARLIER TODAY WHEN SHE DEVELOPED PAIN IN HER EYE AND FELT SOMETHING GO INTO HER EYE DX: FOREIGN BODY OF RIGHT EYE; ABRASION OF RIGHT CORNEA
48YOF WAS USING A *** AT HOME AND GOT FOREIGN OBJECT IN LEFT EYE DX:FOREIGN BODY EYE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I just started using a new string trimmer tonight. I was repeatedly struck in the face by flying grass, and believe it has to do with the deflector not covering as much area as other units.
My wife was using the Black & Decker trimmer LST140C and pieces of line were being automatically fed at the wrong time and being cut off and striking her in the legs. It has happened 4 different times and leaves up to 1 inch cuts on her legs. I have complained to Black & Decker twice but they just offer a new product. The last 2 that we have used have done the exact same thing. They want to keep sending me new ones instead of addressing a very serious and dangerous problem with their auto feed system.
I have been using a Black & Decker GH1000 string trimmer for a couple of years.On numerous occasions it has damaged objects close to the vegetation being trimmed due to the string releasing unexpectedly. the damage is caused by both the sudden increase in the length of the string and the pieces of string cut off by the trimmer blade. This happens when I am actually trimming or if the head is raise to re-position, in both the horizontal and vertical positions. I have received numerous small cuts to my legs from flying string fragments over the past couple or years. I finally decided to see if anyone else was having this problem and found recall for earlier models. My trimmer has an orange head but still spews fragments while being used. I have decide to replace it before it does anymore damage.
Gasoline began running out of the back of the Husqvarna Model 122C string trimmer when filled with gasoline with no reason (had not been dropped or otherwise hit to cause leak.) Immediately emptied tank and took to the local Husqvarna service dealership, Wilson County Farmer's Co-Op. Tank was found to have a hairline crack at the mounting hole nearest the filler tube. Tank was replaced at owner's expense to make trimmer serviceable.
trimmer/edger emmited smoke and burning odor from motor housing
While [weed trimming], the motor on my 2-year old Toro String Trimmer came off the shaft without warning and hit me on the upper side of my right leg. The motor housing appears to have been held on only by a single screw which either came loose or had not been tightened at the factory. It caused bruising, considerable pain and loss of sleep for 3 weeks. Two visits to doctor visits, blood test for possible blood clot, and prescription for pain reduction.
I purchased a Black & Decker Grasshog XP GH1000 Type 1 14" trimmer/edger from Home Depot in the spring of 2007. During routine weekly use of the unit, the spool cap would come off. I thought nothing of it since I had never owned a trimmer/edger prior to this one. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, the spool cap finally broke and flew off. No one was injured. I went on line looking for a replacement part when I noticed there was a safety recall on this unit.
Bought craftsman gas powered weedwacker- it leaks fuel
Showing 8 of 141 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 12,753 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters)?
The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 40,426 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) increasing or decreasing?
Down 13% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters) injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 46,001 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters)?
Of all ER visits involving lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters), approximately 4.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with lawn trimmers or edgers, powered (excl. brushcutters)?
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 Lawn & Garden Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 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 45-54 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.
