Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Manual Hedge Trimmers ranks #313 of 838 by danger score (37/100) at ER-volume #474 of 838 (1,459/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #313
- danger rank of 838
- #474
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 37/100
- danger score
- 1,459/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 (37/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
37 Around the middle lower than 37% 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: 40/100
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) | 3 | 24th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 1,459 | 40th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +57% | 95th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 3 | 28th | 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 29,177 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1449. Segments sum to 29,177 - 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 Lawn & Garden 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.
Lawn & Garden Equipment danger scores
How this 37/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for manual hedge trimmers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 1,459 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 2.9% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+57%
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 manual hedge trimmers are rising by about 57% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2021 (2,811 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2013 (779 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 17,952 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (1,284 cases). The 55-64 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 6,231 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 2.9% 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 manual hedge trimmers 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 | 174 | 16 | |
| 5-14 | 1,175 | 176 | |
| 15-24 | 1,634 | 442 | |
| 25-34 | 2,048 | 997 | |
| 35-44 | 2,235 | 1,515 | |
| 45-54 | 2,492 | 2,090 | |
| 55-64 | 3,772 | 2,459 | |
| 65-74 | 2,809 | 2,103 | |
| 75+ | 1,515 | 1,528 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Laceration | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Foot | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
34 YOF FELL ON THE HEDGE TRIMMER WHILE IT WAS OPEN. DX: LACERATION LOWER EXTREMITY
43YOF C/O LAC TO THUMB AND INDEX FINGER WHEN USING HEDGE TRIMMERS DX FINGER LACS
74YOM WITH INJURY TO HIS LEFT RING FINGER. WAS USING PRUNING SHEARS TO TRIM SHRUBS.DX: OPEN NONDISPLACED DISTAL PHALANX FRACTURE LEFT RING FINGER.
26YOM WAS TRIMMING BUSHES W HEDGE TRIMMER AND CAUGHT HIS R MIDDLE FINGER IN TRIMMER. HAS A FLAP TO FINGER. DX OPEN FINGER FX
56YOF WAS USING A MANUAL HEDGE TRIMMER CLIPPING HER BUSHES WHEN SHE CLIPPED THE EDGE OF HER RIGHT INDEX FINGER DX:LAC FINGER
54YOF WAS USING MANUAL HEDGE TRIMMERS WHEN ACCIDENTLY CUT OFF THE TIP OF HER FINGER DX:AMPUTATION TIP OF FINGER
77YOM WAS TRIMMING HIS BUSHES AT HOME WHEN HIS PACEMAKER FIRED DX:AIC DISCHARGE
26YOF WAS USING A PAIR OF MANUAL HEDGE TRIMMERS WHEN SHE CUT HER LEFT INDEX FINGER DX:LAC FINGER
23YOM WAS USING A PAIR OF HEDGE TRIMMERS AND CUT LEFT MIDDLE FINGER DX:LAC FINGER
80YOM C/O RIGHT WRIST PAIN AND INJURY. STARTED HAVING PAIN ABOUT 2 DAYS AGO AFTER USING MANUAL HEDGE TREMERS TO TRIM A BUSH. INCREASING IN SEVERE PAIN SINCE. SCANS ARE NEGATIVE. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RIGHT WRIST, HISTORY OF GOUT
49YOF CUT HER FINGER W THE HEDGE TRIMMER DX LACERATION TO FINGER
56YOM C/O LEFT LOWER LEG LACERATION. WAS OUTSIDE DOING YARD WORK WHEN HAND-HEL HEDGE TREMORS FELL FROM HIS GRIP AND STABBED HIM IN THE LEFT LEG. LACERATION TO THE LEFT MID MEDIAL CALF. SCANS ARE NEGATIVE. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT CALF
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
While cutting a branch off a lilac bush with lopper shears one of the long handles snapped off. I was thrown off balance and fell to the ground. No serious injuries occurred.
I was trimming tree limbs this weekend in my yard with my Fiskars loppers on some shrubs and the handle unexpectedly snapped and the handle broke and made me pinch my hand between the 2 pieces mead me smash my hands together and i got a cut on my hand and the edge of the broken handle cut my arm. i thought these were sturdy but when it broke I could see they look like plastic or something inside the handle that was bolted together with the 2 handles.
I purchased a pair of "Hedge Shear" from Dollar General. The first time I went to use them on my rose bushes the handles bent together as you applied pressure to the handles. The handles close in on your thumbs. I had bruises on both thumbs. I was only trimming very small rose bushes. As I checked the handles, you could see the metal between the handle grips and the blade will bend with very little effort, which would be very dangerous if I had been using them on a branch of tree.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to manual hedge trimmers on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Lawn & Garden Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Manual Hedge Trimmers: cross-group products nearest on danger score (37/100), estimated annual ER visits (1,459/yr), and hospitalization share (2.9%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.
Similar danger score
Nearest cross-group products by PlainSafety danger score (100-point scale).
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.
- Archery (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment 2.9%admitted
- Inflatable Toys Toys & Children's Recreation 2.9%admitted
- Amusement Attractions (including Rides) Sports & Recreation Equipment 2.9%admitted
- Doll Houses And Other Play Scenes Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 3.0%admitted
Related Products in Lawn & Garden 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, Manual Hedge Trimmers ranks #313 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #474 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does manual hedge trimmers rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, manual hedge trimmers ranks #313 by PlainSafety danger score (37/100) and #474 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (1,459/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from manual hedge trimmers?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 17,952 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from manual hedge trimmers increasing or decreasing?
Up 57% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for manual hedge trimmers injuries?
The 55-64 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 6,231 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by manual hedge trimmers?
Of all ER visits involving manual hedge trimmers, approximately 2.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with manual hedge trimmers?
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.