Levels
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.
Home Communication & Entertainment · CPSC Code 878
Up 10% over 5 years
The verdict
Levels carry a danger score of 27/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 109 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 10% over the last five years.
- 27/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 109
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 878 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 27/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for levels - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume109 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+10%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Levels (CPSC product code 878, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 109 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1,523 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 27/100 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 rising by about 10% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2021 (216 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2011 (6 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for levels is laceration to the head, accounting for approximately 304 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (189 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 320 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1 consumer incident report filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how levels 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 | 167 | 77 | |
| 5-14 | 21 | 6 | |
| 15-24 | 70 | 0 | |
| 25-34 | 189 | 68 | |
| 35-44 | 172 | 0 | |
| 45-54 | 134 | 186 | |
| 55-64 | 170 | 0 | |
| 65-74 | 78 | 112 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 75 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Face | Fracture | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Foot | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Face | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
63YOM C/O LEFT RIB PAIN S/P PT STATES HE WAS USING A LEVEL TOOL, IT PUSHED INTO HIS LEFT RIBS. DX: RIB PAIN
47YOF, COMING IN AFTER SHE HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF HER HEAD ON A LARGE HEAVY METAL LEVEL, FELT DIZZY BUT NO LOC, NO THINNERS, DX: FACIAL PAIN
5WOM WAS BEING CARRIED BY DAD WHO TRIPPED DX ACCIDENTAL FALL
25YOM WAS WORKING IN HIS GARAGE WHEN A METAL LEVEL FELL ONTO HIS HEAD DX: LACERATION SCALP
52 YOM WITH HEAD INJURY. HE WAS DOING WORK AROUND HIS HOME WHEN A METAL LEVELER WAS DROPPED BY A CONSTRUCTION WORKER THAT WAS RENOVATING HIS HOME. DX SCALP LACERATION
31 YOM WAS CARRYING A METAL LEVEL WHEN HE TRIPPED AND FELL ON HIS HAND. DX: LEFT 5TH FINGER LACERATION.
72YOM WAS DOING SOME WORK AT HOME AND A LEVEL FELL TWO FEET OFF A SHELF ONTO HEAD DX: SCALP LACERATION
67 YOF DROPPED A HEAVY LEVEL ONTO HER FOOT. DX: LEFT FOOT PAIN.
32YOM, WAS HELPING OUT A FRIEND WHEN DROPPED A METAL LEVEL STRIKING FACE DX: EYEBROW LACERATION
61YOM STATES HE WAS WORKING IN HIS GARAGE WHEN A METAL CRANK LEVEL CAME DOWN QUICKLY ON HIS HEAD AND CUT HIM OPEN. DX: SCALP LACERATION
40 YOM HURT L 4TH FINGER DX; FINGER FX
56YOM STRUCK BY LEVEL FALLING OFF TABLE, DX: RIGHT FOOT PAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Date: June 6, 2025 To Whom It May Concern at Amazon, I am writing to formally complain about a dangerous incident involving a level meter purchased from your platform on June 4th. The product, intended for renovating my childs bedroom floor, caused a severe safety hazard during its first charging process. The internal battery exploded due to apparent design flaws and the use of non-compliant, substandard batteries, which immediately ignited a fire. Thankfully, I managed to extinguish the flames with water, but I was forced to rush my child to the hospital for urgent medical care due to burn injuries. The total medical expenses incurred so far amount to 12,000, covering hospitalization, initial burn treatment, and partial costs for future therapies (detailed medical reports are attached). Additional rehabilitation treatments will be required over the next six months, though the exact amount cannot be determined until the full course of treatment is underway. What is more alarming is that this product remains listed for sale on Amazon despite its obvious dangers. When I contacted your customer service team, the response was dismissive and lacked meaningful follow-up. I strongly urge Amazon to: Immediately remove this hazardous product from all sales channels; Conduct a thorough investigation into the suppliers quality control and compliance with safety standards; Provide a formal response regarding how my familys damagesincluding medical costs, potential future expenses, and emotional distresswill be addressed. The attached documents detail all damages caused by this incident. Given the serious risk to public safety, I trust Amazon will take swift and responsible action to prevent further harm to other consumers. Sincerely,
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to levels on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are levels?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, levels have a danger score of 27/100 (low risk). An estimated 109 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from levels?
The most common injury is laceration to the head, accounting for approximately 304 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from levels increasing or decreasing?
Up 10% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for levels injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 320 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by levels?
Of all ER visits involving levels, approximately 3.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with levels?
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 Home Communication & Entertainment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 27/100 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.
