Light Bulbs
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 Furnishings & Fixtures · CPSC Code 627
Down 33% over 5 years
The verdict
Light Bulbs carry a danger score of 37/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 12,081 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 33% over the last five years.
- 37/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 12,081
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 627 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 37/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for light bulbs - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume12,081 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.2%
- Fatality rate0.01%
- 5-year trend-33%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Light Bulbs (CPSC product code 627, in the Home Furnishings & Fixtures category) generate an estimated 12,081 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 241,621 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 declining by about 33% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (15,140 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (7,516 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for light bulbs is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 31,109 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (19,386 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 31,488 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 6.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 840 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how light bulbs 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 | 18,785 | 11,170 | |
| 5-14 | 15,969 | 10,768 | |
| 15-24 | 18,947 | 9,428 | |
| 25-34 | 18,909 | 12,579 | |
| 35-44 | 18,000 | 11,800 | |
| 45-54 | 18,598 | 11,858 | |
| 55-64 | 14,825 | 10,543 | |
| 65-74 | 11,856 | 7,965 | |
| 75+ | 11,742 | 7,888 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Foot | Foreign Body | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
31 YOF INJ RT FOOT STEPPED ON PIECE OF BROKEN LIGHTBULB AT HOME DX PUNCTURE WOUND RT FOOT W/FB
42 YOM C/O INJ TO FACE/HAND/FOOT FROM A BROKEN LED LIGHT BULB AT HOME DX FB/PUNCTURE WOUNDS TO CHEEK, HAND AND FOOT -REMOVED GLASS
13 YOM HERE AFTER A LIGHT BULB FELL AND CUT HIS RIGHT LITTLE TOE. DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT LITTLE TOE
53YOM WITH EYE DISCOMFORT AND COUGH. ONE OF THE LARGE INDUSTRIAL FLUORESCENT BULBS HAD DROPPED. HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP IT FROM FALLING AND IT EXPLODED AND FELT LIKE A FOREIGN BODY IN HIS RIGHT EYE. ALSO COUGH AND SENSATION IN CHEST. DX: CORNEAL ABRASION, INHALATION OF NOXOIUS FUMES
30YOM PATIENT MAY HAVE INHALED GLASS INTO HIS NOSE, HE SAID HE DROPPED A LIGHT BULB ON THE GROUND, POSSIBLE GLASS INGESTION DX: ACUTE MAXILLARY SINUSITIES
49YOM REPORTS HE WAS DRINKING HEAVILY AND CUT HIS HAND WHILE TRYING TO SCREW IN A LIGHT BULB. BAC NOT DONE. DX HAND LACERATION, ALCOHOL INTOXICASTION.
15YOM REPORTS HE WAS CARRYING A BOX OF LIGHTBULBS AND PUSHED THE BOX AGAINST A WALL FOR LEVERAGE AND THE GLASS SHATTERED CUTTING HIS FINGER. DX FINGER LACERATION
68YOM PATIENT WAS CHANGING A LIGHT BULB IN HIS HOME WHEN HE FELL TO THE GROUND HAD SYNCOPAL EPISODE, ELBOW PAIN DX: CONTUSION OF RIGHT ELBOW
25YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE CUT HIS RIGHT HAND ON AN AUTO BULB DX: LACERATION OF HAND, RIGHT
60YOM STRUCK HIS LEFT FOREARM ON THE EDGE OF A FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULB CAUSING A LACERATION DX: LACERATION OF LEFT FOREARM
10YOM C/O LACERATION OF RIGHT INDEX FINGER S/P PT STATES HE HURT HIS FINGER ON A BROKEN LIGHT BULB. DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT INDEX FINGER
45YOM WAS EATING A TACO THAT HE GOT AT A MEXICAN FOOD TRUCK AND THERE WAS A PIECE OF GLASS IN IT FROM A BROKEN LIGHT BULB DX: FOREIGN BODY INGESTION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The compact fluorescent light bulb by GE began to flash, with the light switch in the off position. We removed the cover from the fixture and removed the light bulb, we discovered that the fixture and the wiring was scorched. Please note that the light switch has a l.e.d. light that is lit when the switch is in the off position. The light bulb was purchased less than two weeks ago. The bar code for this light bulb pack is 4316871284 Res. # 9643570
daylight Compact FLuorescent bulbs exploded in the car in the home driveway. 52 yof sustained knee laceration due to the explosion.
I replaced 7 normal recessed bulbs with ecoBrites 7" Dimmable 7x1wHi-Performance PAR30 LED. Within about 3 weeks, while eating dinner, I noticed one bulb flicker and then burn out. I turned the light switch off then on again but the bulb did not light up. Something seemed odd about it and I took a flashlight to shine on the base of the bulb. The area looked smokey so my husband tried to remove the bulb and burned his hand. We did get it out but the base of the bulb had melted - about a one and a half inch area. I am sure my house would have burned down had I not noticed this right away and taken action. I have reported this to the ecoBrite website because I want them to know about this.
LED light bulb started on fire in a light fixture. LED lamp: MaxLite 9A19ND27P LED lamp 4SFO E349554 16I110115 Floor Lamp: [REDACTED]
Consumer stated that his spiral fluorescent light bulb, inserted in a lamp burned up inside of the ceiling fixture in his kitchen. The consumer was getting ready to leave his home when he heard a loud popping noise from the kitchen. The consumer had came back to the kitchen to find the bulb had popped and the light bulb was hanging from the wires exposed. The consumer's brother in law shut off the power to the fixture and replaced with a common filament light bulb. The consumer is unsure if his bulb is similar to spiral bulbs that have been recalled and is not sure if it has not been recalled. The bulb has cinge marks and blackening at the base. The bulb emitted a burning smell of a fire and did not actually see any flames from the light bulb. The consumer decided not to call the fire department at the time of the incident. The bulb is 23 watts, 330AMPS and 120 volts. The light bulb had not flickered just before the incident. The consumer mentioned that he had the bulb in the fixture for 4 months and the bulb was on for 8-10 hours. The consumer has yet to call the retailer . The consumer called the firm yesterday and stated that they would call him back and they did not. The consumer called the firm today to inform them of what happened and was told to submit the bulb in a package back to the firm. The consumer intends to send the bulb back after he takes photographs of the bulb. The damage of the product did not spread to the structure of her home. The light bulb did not burn the light fixture in which in the bulb was inserted. The consumer was not harmed by the product.
Feit Electric LED light bulb - model number CEOM60/927/LED6 Lot number 256-18-01 This is a bulb that was installed in a vanity fixture in a bathroom over a sink controlled by a single, non-dimming switch. I believe it to be less than a year old, but not certain when it was purchased or installed. Light was used about 3-4 hours a day So far only one has failed, but I am very concerned about the failure mode. The light bulb flickered of and on twice and then began to smoke horribly. I turned off the switch and removed the bulb from service. If I had not been in the room, I believe this would have become a house fire.
The caller reported that the consumer placed the bulb into a lamp, it blew out and caught the lamp on fire. There were no property damages just the lamp shade. The consumer was able to put the fire out by throwing water on it. There was a fire report. The caller was advised to report the incident to the agency.
Great Value LED Light Bulb, 15W (100W Equivalent) 18Y, A19 General Purpose Lamp E26 Medium Base, Non-dimmable, Daylight, 4-Pack started a fire in both our bathroom fixtures. We were able to stop the fire and remove all the existing bulbs from the home.
Showing 8 of 840 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to light bulbs on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are light bulbs?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, light bulbs have a danger score of 37/100 (low risk). An estimated 12,081 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from light bulbs?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 31,109 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from light bulbs increasing or decreasing?
Down 33% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for light bulbs injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 31,488 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by light bulbs?
Of all ER visits involving light bulbs, approximately 6.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with light bulbs?
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 Furnishings & Fixtures
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.
