Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Matchbooks ranks #820 of 838 by danger score (20/100) at ER-volume #799 of 838 (61/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #820
- danger rank of 838
- #799
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 20/100
- danger score
- 61/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 (20/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
20 Among the lowest lower than 98% 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: 34/100
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) | 9 | 73rd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 61 | 5th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -95% | 23rd | 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 798 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1728. Segments sum to 798 - 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 Home Medical & Assistance Devices 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.
Home Medical & Assistance Devices danger scores
How this 20/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for matchbooks - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 61 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 9.2% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-95%
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 matchbooks are declining by about 95% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2015 (171 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2024 (1 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 242 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the eyeball (90 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 186 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 9.2% 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 matchbooks 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 | 45 | 15 | |
| 5-14 | 170 | 0 | |
| 15-24 | 106 | 6 | |
| 25-34 | 0 | 141 | |
| 35-44 | 15 | 0 | |
| 45-54 | 114 | 72 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 14 | |
| 65-74 | 0 | 32 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 68 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Upper Arm | Other | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Not Stated/unk | Other | |
| Pubic Region | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
48YOM USING A MATCH TO GET WAX FROM EAR AND BROKE. + ETOH, BAC UNK
70YOF WAS WEARING NASAL CANNULA AND ATTEMPTED TO BLOW OUT A MATCH, DX FLASH BURN TO FACE, NO F.D. ATTENDANCE STATED
9YM PLAYING C MATCHES IN HIS *** BAG&HAD BIKING GLOVE ON HAND WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE BURNING FINGERS, MOM WAS ABLE TO PUT IT OUT>>BURN
40YM WAS STRIKING A MATCH TO LIGHT A CIGARETTE&THE SPARK HIT EYE>>CORNEAL ABR
32 YO F PT WAS LIGHTING A MATCH AND BURN LT THUMB REDNESSDX BURN LT THUMB
13 YO M PT WAS PLAYING WITH MATCHES WHEN HE LIT RUBBING ALCOHOL ON FIREBURNING RT HAND6/10 PAINFUL, DX 1ST DEGREE BURN RT HAND NO FD
21YOM LIT A MATCHED AND ACCIDENTLY FLICKED IT INTO OWN EYEDX: CORNEAL AB
8 YO M PLAYING WITH A BOOK OF MATCHES BURNED HIS HANDDX BURN RT HAND. NO FD
A 53YOM TRIED TO JUMP OVER TURNSTYLE AT TRAIN STATION, FELL, LACERATIONTO CHIN WITH ETOH ABUSE
15YOF-PT & FRIEND LIGHTING INCENSE FRIEND WAS WAVING LIT MATCH PT ACCIDSPILLED RUBBING ETOH ON ARM WHEN SLEEVE CAUGHT ON FIRE.DX-BURNS
52YOM HAS SOMEONE THROW A MATCHBOOK & IT STRUCK EYEEYE PAIN
22 MONTH OLD MALE FOUND WITH WHOLE BOOK OF MATCHES IN MOUTH
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
"Always Save" Book matches, "proudly distributed by Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc." Kansas City, KS, 66106. The red ignition heads of these cardboard matches have been reduced in size-likely a cost/profit margin decision. Although any match may, A, fail to light when moved across the strike plate and, B, come apart, sending a small spark outward and away from the match body, B was generally a problen with the wood matches and almost never happened to paper matches). The Always Save brand, however, now fail to light more than 40% of the time, light only on one side and-and this is my concern-send flaming sparks out and away from the match body. This is such a frequent occurrence with these matches, I can envision a fire occurring even with the most safety conscious user.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to matchbooks on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Medical & Assistance Devices
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Matchbooks: cross-group products nearest on danger score (20/100), estimated annual ER visits (61/yr), and hospitalization share (9.2%). 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.
Related Products in Home Medical & Assistance Devices
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, Matchbooks ranks #820 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #799 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does matchbooks rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, matchbooks ranks #820 by PlainSafety danger score (20/100) and #799 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (61/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from matchbooks?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 242 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from matchbooks increasing or decreasing?
Down 95% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for matchbooks injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 186 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by matchbooks?
Of all ER visits involving matchbooks, approximately 9.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (90.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with matchbooks?
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.