Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Manual Snow Or Ice Removal Tools ranks #63 of 838 by danger score (44/100) at ER-volume #104 of 838 (24,997/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #63
- danger rank of 838
- #104
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 44/100
- danger score
- 24,997/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 (44/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
44 Higher than most more dangerous than 90% 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: 61/100
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) | 14 | 87th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 24,997 | 85th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -43% | 10th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 1 | 18th | 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 499,930 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1415. Segments sum to 499,930 - 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 44/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for manual snow or ice removal tools - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 24,997 ER visits/yr High volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 8.7% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.58% Elevated fatality rate
- 5-year trend-43%
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 snow or ice removal tools are declining by about 43% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2014 (48,817 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2006 (9,439 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 78,652 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the upper trunk (72,876 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 103,336 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 8.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.58%) result in fatality.
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 manual snow or ice removal tools 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 | 1,783 | 712 | |
| 5-14 | 8,747 | 4,203 | |
| 15-24 | 22,004 | 10,270 | |
| 25-34 | 51,323 | 25,072 | |
| 35-44 | 62,393 | 31,878 | |
| 45-54 | 70,667 | 32,669 | |
| 55-64 | 55,200 | 27,648 | |
| 65-74 | 34,448 | 18,061 | |
| 75+ | 26,716 | 16,020 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Nerve Damage | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Knee | Other | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
67 YOM C/O INJ TO NECK-PAIN AFTER MOVING AND LIFTING SNOW AT HOME DX NECK PAIN
72 YOF WAS SHOVELING SNOW AND FELL HIT HEAD DX: HEAD INJURY
57 YOM WITH LOW BACK PAIN AFTER SHOVELING SNOW DX: PAIN
57 YOM INJ BACK AFTER SHOVELING SNOW AND MOVING BOXES AT HOME DX LUMBAR STRAIN ;
47YOF PRESENT TO ED C/O LOW BACK PX IN LUMBAR REGION AFTER SHOVELING SNOW 2D AGO.PT HASNT SHOVELED SNOW IN YEARS.THE DAY AFTER HAD TIGHTNESS IN LOW BACK.NO RADIATION OF PX TO BUTTOCK/LES.NO OTHER SX/COMPLAINTSDX:ACUTE MYOFASCIAL STRAIN OF LUMBOSACRAL REGION
84YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR 4 WKS PROGRESSIVE W/ SOB. YESTERDAY PT WAS EATTING AND NOTICED SOB WHIEL EATING. PT ENDORSED WORKIGN SHOVELIGN SNOW YESTERDAY. DX: ACUTE ON CHRONIC SYSTOLIC CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
72YOM PRESENTS TO ED FOR CHEST PAIN. PAIN HAS CHEST PAIN RADIATING TO BEACK AND LEFT ARM X1 DAY. PT STATES STARTED YESTERDAY AFTER COMPLAINING OF SUBSTERNAL CHEST PAIN AFTER SHOVELING SNOW. PT STAES YESTERDAY TOOK ASPIRIN AND *** WHICH RESOLVED W/ PAIN. PT WAS WALKING TO KITCHEN ADN STARTED TO HAVE PAIN. DX: EXERTIONAL CHEST PAIN
49YOF PATIENT WAS SHOVELING SNOW TODAY, SHE BEGAN TO HAVE SOME INCREASED ABDOMINAL PAIN DX: UMBILICAL HERNIA WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION AND WITHOUT GANGRENE, PERIUMBILICAL ABDOMINAL PAIN
45YOM PATIENT REPORTS CHEST PAIN, HE STATES HE MOVED LAST WEEK, HAS BEEN LIFTING HEAVIER AT THE GYM, AND SHOVELING SNOW DX: ANXIETY, COSTOCHONDRITS, PARESTHESIA, WHEEZE
49YOF TO ED WITH C/O SHOULDER PAIN AFTER SHOVELING SNOW, DX SHOULDER PAIN
64YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST PAIN, ABDOMINAL PAIN AND LIMB ACHES AFTER HE SHOVELED HIS SNOW IN FRONT OF HIS DOMICILE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES DX: MYALGIA
47 YOM C/O SHOULDER PAIN S/P SHOVELING SNOW. DX: SHOULDER PAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My wife ought a pushable snow plow on amazon. The plow portion is curve and has sharp teeth at the bottom. These teeth are aimed at like a 45 degree angle instead of parallel to the ground, so they dig into the ground instead of riding on the ground. I was using this to plow snow on our driveway, the teeth caught and my feet slipped out from underneath me and I fell flat on my face, landing on my left wrist. I think I bruised ribs and injured my wrist.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to manual snow or ice removal tools on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Lawn & Garden Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Manual Snow Or Ice Removal Tools: cross-group products nearest on danger score (44/100), estimated annual ER visits (24,997/yr), and hospitalization share (8.7%). 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.
- Bicycles And Accessories, (excl.mountain Or All-terrain) Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 8.7%admitted
- Electric Coffee Makers Or Teapots Kitchen Cooking Appliances 8.7%admitted
- Towels Or Cloths Home Furnishings & Fixtures 8.7%admitted
- Waste Containers, Trash Baskets Or Refuse Bins Containers, Tableware & Packaging 8.7%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 Snow Or Ice Removal Tools ranks #63 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #104 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does manual snow or ice removal tools rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, manual snow or ice removal tools ranks #63 by PlainSafety danger score (44/100) and #104 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (24,997/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from manual snow or ice removal tools?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 78,652 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from manual snow or ice removal tools increasing or decreasing?
Down 43% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for manual snow or ice removal tools injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 103,336 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by manual snow or ice removal tools?
Of all ER visits involving manual snow or ice removal tools, approximately 8.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (91.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with manual snow or ice removal tools?
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.