Metal Containers
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.
Containers & Packaging · CPSC Code 1112
Down 20% over 5 years
The verdict
Metal Containers carry a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 65,865 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 20% over the last five years.
- 40/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 65,865
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 1.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1112 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 40/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for metal containers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume65,865 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)1.7%
- Fatality rate0.02%
- 5-year trend-20%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Metal Containers (CPSC product code 1112, in the Containers & Packaging category) generate an estimated 65,865 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1.3M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 40/100 for this category (moderate 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 20% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2010 (80,660 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (44,197 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for metal containers is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 641,224 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (161,729 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 211,614 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 1.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.02%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 60 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how metal containers 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 | 87,266 | 66,063 | |
| 5-14 | 96,900 | 74,874 | |
| 15-24 | 106,045 | 105,569 | |
| 25-34 | 83,688 | 121,494 | |
| 35-44 | 62,703 | 102,204 | |
| 45-54 | 57,136 | 92,409 | |
| 55-64 | 46,973 | 73,254 | |
| 65-74 | 26,779 | 51,038 | |
| 75+ | 21,936 | 40,845 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Laceration | |
| Foot | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
10 YOM LAC TO LT PINKY FINGER WHILE OPENING A CAN OF TUNA TODAY. DX: FINGER LAC
41 YOF OPENING A CAN AND CUT FINGER. DX LACERATION
25 YOF WITH LACERATION TO RIGHT THUMB SUSTAINED WHILE OPENING A CAN. DX LACERATION RIGHT HAND THUMB
42YOM PATIENT STATES HE WAS OPENING A CAN OF GREEN BEANS AND CUT HIS HAND ON THE CAN DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT HAND, FOREIGN BODY PRESENCE
79YOF C/O LACERATION OF LEFT THUMB. WAS ATTEMPTING TO OPEN A CAN WHENEVER SHE ACCIDENTALLY LACERATED HER LEFT THUMB. DX: LACERATION OF LEFT THUMB WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO NAIL
18MOF DROPPED A CAN OF GREEN BEANS ONTO OF LEFT FOOT A FEW DAYS AGO SUSTAINING AN ABRASION THAT GOT INFECTED DX: CELLULITIS TO FOOT
16 YOM OPENING METAL FOOD CAN WITH KNIFE CUT FINGER DX LACERATION FINGER
9 YOF HIT HEAD ON METAL BOX AT SCHOOL C/O DIZZINESS DX CHI, PT LEFT AMA
42YOF TO ER FOR LACERATION OF LEFT THUMB, PT OPENED CAN W/ CAN OPENER & CUT THUMB ON SHARPE EDGE OF CAN, PT UNABLE TO STOP BLEEDING, NO THINNER USE, BLEEDING CONTROLED IN ER DX LACERATION LEFT THUMB W/O FOREIGN BODY
16YOF WITH LAC TO FINGER FROM METAL CAN DX: LAC TO FINGER
47YOM WITH SYNCOPAL EPISODE AND FELL HITTING HEAD ON METAL BOX OUTSIDE. PT LEFT ED DX: PNEUMONIA OF LEFT UPPER LOBE DUE TO INFECTIOUS ORGANSIM
3YOM PRESENTED WITH BURNS TO THE HANDS. PER THE PT'S MOTHER, THEY WERE AT A BONFIRE AND THE FIRE WAS IN A METAL BARREL. TH EPT TRIPPED AND PUT HIS HANDS ON THE BARREL TO CATCH HIS FALL. DX: BURN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
On Sept 30, 2015, I went into my garage to get a Coke from the package that I had purchased from CostCo. I reached in and grabbed one and then I reached in to grab another. Before I could grab a third, the can in my hand exploded, sending coca cola into my face, into my eyes and hair and all over me and all over the garage. I was stunned and didn't realize what had happened until I looked at the can I was holding. The center of the can was splayed open.
I went to open a can of Signature Select seltzer water and the can exploded with a huge bang and the tab exploded upward out of the can and bruised and cut my palm
Cut my fingers opening an Open Water aluminum can. Product is made by openwater.com.
A can of Illy ground espresso exploded as I slowly opened the can. I didn't remove the lid completely because it was very difficult to open. The coffee exploded into my face, hair, kitchen counter and all over the floor. I was not seriously injured, but coffee was over me and I had to rinse my eyes.
I was drinking from my Miir water bottle and I didn't realize that the top had came apart and the plastic parts fell into the water bottle and ended up in my mouth when I took a swig. This is a severe choking hazard and fortunately I didn't swallow the pieces from the top that came apart. This is the second time this has happened, the first time I contacted the company, Miir and they sent me a new top and I thought it was a onetime incident. But this is the second time this has happened and it is clearly a defect in the product manufacturing that has the potential of causing severe injury. The first time I dropped the bottle, not on the top but the bottom, and the most recent time their was no dropping and no reason for the plastic top to just come apart. The first time this happened I did choke on the plastic but was able to spit it out. I am fortunate I didn't suffer any injury but someone could.
I took 3 cans of Manor Hill IPA out of the refrigerator, 15 minutes later when I was in another room, I heard what sounded like gun shots or fireworks within my apartment. The 3 cans exploded sending beer and metal all over. If I, or anyone else, was nearby we could have been seriously hurt. Needless to say there was a huge mess to clean. I contacted the company and they said "I can tell by the image you attached those cans have our old label on it, which means they are quite old". Thats was the last I heard fom them.
I was opening an Illy Forte can with the can tab and the can exploded, rapidly letting out gas and coffee grounds. I was standing over the can with my eyes open and the coffee grounds were sent right into my eyes, all over my face, and onto the ground around me. I immediately got to my kitchen sink and washed out my eyes with water for about 5 minutes until I could no longer feel coffee grounds in my eyes.
I recently purchased a case of Miller Lite Beer, which has a new " punch top" open tab, the problem occurs if the pull tab snaps off which is not difficult to do, mine fell off with no effort or action initiated by myself. when this tab comes off it exposes a razor sharp edge which can very easily slice the tongue or lips when drinking from the cans open orifice, trust me, someone is going to suffer injury maybe serious while drinking this beverage and especially if they have not been drinking responsibly.
Showing 8 of 60 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to metal containers on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are metal containers?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, metal containers have a danger score of 40/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 65,865 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from metal containers?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 641,224 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from metal containers increasing or decreasing?
Down 20% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for metal containers injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 211,614 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by metal containers?
Of all ER visits involving metal containers, approximately 1.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with metal containers?
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 Containers & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 40/100 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 15-24 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.
