Manual Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers
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 1450
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Manual Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 311 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 311
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1450 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for manual lawn trimmers or edgers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume311 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.7%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+9%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Manual Lawn Trimmers Or Edgers (CPSC product code 1450, in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category) generate an estimated 311 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 6,211 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 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 2018 (533 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2014 (29 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for manual lawn trimmers or edgers is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 2,659 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (323 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,368 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 6.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 6 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how manual lawn trimmers or edgers 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 | 91 | 6 | |
| 5-14 | 466 | 86 | |
| 15-24 | 348 | 175 | |
| 25-34 | 215 | 172 | |
| 35-44 | 751 | 338 | |
| 45-54 | 901 | 467 | |
| 55-64 | 582 | 300 | |
| 65-74 | 395 | 230 | |
| 75+ | 597 | 91 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Derma/conjunct | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
60YOF STATES THAT SHE WAS CUTTING A LOT OF FLOWERS WITH A HAND TRIMMER AND NOW HAS PAIN IN RIGHT SHOULDER DX: STRAIN OF RIGHT SHOULDER
60YOF,TRIMMING BUSHES ON MONDAY MAY HAVE GOTTEN INTO EYE,DX:FB EYE
51YOF C/O LACERATION OF LEFT HAND S/P PT STATES SHE WAS CUTTING WEEDS IN HER BACK YARD WITH A HAND-HELD MECHANICAL CUTTING DEVICE AND SHE ACCIDENTALLY CUT HER LEFT RING FINGER. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT RING FINGER
83 YOM C/O UPPER BACK PAIN AFTER CUTTING SHRUBBERY WITH MANUAL CUTTER AT HOME DX ACUTE THORACIC BACK PAIN
72YOM WAS TRIMMING SOME TREE WITH MANUAL HEDGE CLIPPERS AND CUT LEFT HAND DX: LACERATION HAND
66YOM WAS CLIPPING HEDGES WITH MANUAL CLIPPERS WHEN HE DEVELOPED CHEST PAIN DX: CHEST PAIN
72YOF TRIPPED OVER A LAWN EDGER AND LANDED ON FACE IN YARD AND INJURED NOSE AND FACE DX FRACTURE NOSE AND LACERATION OF FACE
87YOM PRESENTS TO ED AFTER FALL. PT STATES HE WAS OUTSIDE AND WALKING DOWN A HILL THAT WAS NOT PARTICULARLY STEEP BUT HE SLIPPED AND SLID DOWN APPROX 10 FT. PT UNABLE TO GET UP ON OWN BUT WIFE HEARD LAWN TRIMMER TURN OFF ADN SO SEH WENT OUT TO FIND HIM IN HELPED IM BACK IN. DX: FALL
49YOM TO ER FOR LACERATION LEFT THUMB PT ACCIDENTALLY CUT SELF W/ PRUNNERS AT HOME TODAY DX LACERATION LEFT THUMB W/O FOREIGN BODY DX
80 YOM CUTTING FLOWER BULBS IN GARDEN, SLIPPED, HEDGE CLIPPER CUT FINGER. DX FINGER LACERATION
28YOM WAS WORKING IN HIS GARDEN WITH METAL GARDEN TRIMMERS MANUAL WHEN HE CUT HIS LEFT HAND DX: LACERATION LEFT HAND
42YOM WITH LAC TO FINGER FROM HEDGE TRIMMER DX: LAC TO FINGER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I purchased a Suncast Flagstone Edging product from Menards in mid-May. We setup the product behind our home end of May. We step-up the product according to the directions. A week after setup, we were filling mulch behind the edging and the edging kept tipping over due to a poor design on the stake peaks(tips of the points that were supposed to secure product into the ground). On June 2 my oldest son tripped over the edging, the edging became dislodged due to it's poor design, product flipped around and impalled him in the shin. Fortunately, only bandages were needed as opposed to stitches. I reached out to Suncast right away to report and ask for refund since I couldn't find receipt. They responded and denied product being unsafe and a refund--I didn't have my receipt. I included both pictures/proof of ownership to them but no receipt. I retain their emails to me
Fiskars 32" power gear bypass Lipper. titanium i was cutting a hedge and was on a very low branches. my right hand was about 5" off the ground and my left arm was 18" above it. it was 1.5-2" diameter. older hedge and hard! i was squeezing and squeezing. this trimmer is awesome and the blade was working into the wood. all of a sudden i thought the wood broke, but the entire right handle of the trimmer broke off near the blades. my elbow still hurts 7 days later from the shock of all of a sudden slamming together. my wrist hurts. wednesday i have a doctor appt ~~ just to see if i need ice, heat, move it more, move it less??? i was telling the woman at work, and for some reason, one lady knew there was a recall....and i thought 'why would she know about this, and it's my fault for purring so much pressure on it....and sure enough , there was a recall. i love these clippers, as a 52 year old petite woman, these clippers can allow me to be a great gardener!
While cutting limbs into 3 foot sections the handle on the tool broke at the base causing it to impact user head. The worker sustained a two cut to the forehead about 1 inch above the left eye. The product was a Fiskars Titanium 2" lopper. The product appears to have suffered from plastic fatigue in the cutting handle
I cut hand on the outside edge of the tool
USING 32" FISKARS LOPPERS - FIRST USE WAS UP IN A TREE - LOPPERS BROKE AT PIVOT POINT OF CUTTERS (A THREADED NUT WITH THE OPPOSITE END A MUSHROOMED TYPE RIVETED END). THE RIVET SIDE OF THE PIVOT BOLT SNAPPED. THE FORCE APPLIED TO CUT A 1 1/2" BRANCH (CAPACITY 2") LED ME TO PUNCH MYSELF, FALLING APPROX 3' OFF A LADDER. THIS COULD BE LETHAL TO SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE THAN I.
When using Fiskars P341 Bypass Pruner my hand was caught in the device at 2 different times and caused blood blisters from injuries. See foto. I was using as directed.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to manual lawn trimmers or edgers on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are manual lawn trimmers or edgers?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, manual lawn trimmers or edgers have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 311 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from manual lawn trimmers or edgers?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 2,659 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from manual lawn trimmers or edgers increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for manual lawn trimmers or edgers injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,368 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by manual lawn trimmers or edgers?
Of all ER visits involving manual lawn trimmers or edgers, approximately 6.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with manual lawn trimmers or edgers?
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 32/100 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.
