Metal Cookware (nonelectric)
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, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 460
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Metal Cookware (nonelectric) carry a danger score of 36/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 5,114 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 36/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 5,114
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 460 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for metal cookware (nonelectric) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume5,114 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.9%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-6%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Metal Cookware (nonelectric) (CPSC product code 460, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 5,114 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 102,275 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 36/100 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 2019 (7,262 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2008 (2,664 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for metal cookware (nonelectric) is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 20,829 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the finger (6,608 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 18,321 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 4.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 313 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how metal cookware (nonelectric) 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 | 3,972 | 4,783 | |
| 5-14 | 3,733 | 3,602 | |
| 15-24 | 6,165 | 7,944 | |
| 25-34 | 6,186 | 12,135 | |
| 35-44 | 5,422 | 10,297 | |
| 45-54 | 3,966 | 9,994 | |
| 55-64 | 4,148 | 7,905 | |
| 65-74 | 1,052 | 4,573 | |
| 75+ | 1,258 | 5,135 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Foot | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Burn, Scald | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Scald | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Scald |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
21YOF PRESENT TO ED AFTER ACCIDENTALLY CUTTING DORSAL ASPECT OF R SECOND DIGIT WHILE STIRING INGREDIENTS IN A POT(NOT HOT),EDGE OF POT WAS SHARP.PT NOTED BLOOD COMING IN SPURTS FROM FINGER.PT WASHED HER HAND IN TAP WATER,BLEEDING CONT'D FOR 2HRSDX:LAC OF BLOOD VESSEL OF FINGER
52YOM WAS DRINKING SOME BEER AND WAS CARRYING SOME GREASE OUT IN A PAN TOP AND LOST HIS BALANCE AND FELL IN THE SNOW. NO BAC DX: UPPER TRUNK FX.
26YOF C/O RIGHT HAND PAIN AFTER ACCIDENTALLY DROPPING A METAL PAN ON THE HAND. DX: HAND PAIN
56YOF WAS COOKING HAMBURGERS IN A PAN AND LEANED CLOSE TO THE PAN, STEAM BURNED PTS FACE. DX: BURN
23YOF PRESENTS WITH SPLATTER BURNS TO HER RIGHT FOREARM AFTER USING A CAST IRON SKILLET, AREA IS NOW RED WITH STREAKING DX: INFECTED WOUND
50 YOM DROPPED A CAST IRON PAN ON HIS LEFT FOOT. DX: CONTUSION LEFT FOOT
2YOF WAS PLAYING WITH POTS AND PANS AND ONE FELL ONTO FACE DX: LIP LACERATION
29YOF SAYS SHE ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED HOT COOKING OIL OVER HER RIGHT FOREARM FROM A PAN SHE SPILLED EARLIER TODAY AT HOME DX PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN TO RIGHT UPPER EXTREMITY
29YOF WITH GRABBING A HOT PAN DX; BURN TO HAND
29YOM WAS COOKING AND GRABBED A HOT METAL PAN OUT OF THE OVEN, DX: <1% TBSA PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN RT HAND
70YOM, ACCIDENTALLY CUT RIGHT INDEX FINGER ON STEEL PAN THAT WAS CLEANING AT THE CHURCH DX: LACERATION OF BLOOD VESSEL OF RIGHT INDEX FINGER
73YOF DROPPED AN IRON SKILLET ON HER TOE. DX: FX TOE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I received Martha Stewart Cast Iron Dutch oven (5.5 qt and 7 qt) as a wedding present. They were in a linen closet for a while and I never used them. I recently remodeled my kitchen and finally have room for them and began using them. After using the 5qt 2 times for pasta, the enamel began to crack on the bottom and chip off of the side. The bottom of the pan got dangerously hot and took almost an hour to cool down enough to clean.
After two years of use the handle on a Belique frying pan suddenly got very hot while cooking, burning the user's hand. This had not happened before. It became so warm the rubber insert in the handle became soft and began to lightly bubble..
Purchased ceramic pan on Amazon.com Followed instructions on cleaning and preheated a medium-low temperature The pan emitted noxious gas fumes and was intolerable
The 9" skillet from this set (purchased at walmart http://www.walmart.com/ip/Farberware-9-and-11-Skillets-Twin-Pack/14892482 ) is unbalanced and can tip over by itself while in use, falling completely off the stovetop. There is a danger of severe burns. If a hot, in use pan falls on a child, it would be a tragedy.
On Friday, Sept. 2, 2011, I had finished using my Innova skillet (style #07921) for frying and while I was washing it; the handle snapped off the skillet. Thankful that I did not have the hot grease in the skillet prior to washing it; I decided I would tell the company what had happened. I found out through my search for the company's phone number that the phone number I found had been disconnected. So, I decided to file a complaint with your organization.
I had purchase a 10 pc Food Network cookware set from Kohls department store in December, 2023. On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, I was warming the frying pan to make dinner. The pan was sitting on medium/low heat, for maybe a minute when I heard a loud pop and a ting hit my floor. I was not sure what had happened as my ear was ringing and throbbing. I thought the worst and was thankful my kids were not near me or in the same room. As I looked around I found a piece of metal from the pan that flew about ten feet away down the hallway from the kitchen. When I looked closer at the pan, a metal cap that holds the handle to the pan had exploded off of the pan. If this had hit someone it could have ended badly in a freak accident.
Rivet from Granitestone frying pan projectiled to the ceiling when cooking with the pan. There was no injuries but there definitely could have been with a hot projectile.
I received a greenpan Dutch oven for a wedding gift. I used it in the oven for the first time and it was so hot it went through my oven mitt and it was so hot I dropped it and I ended up throwing it away because of it burning myself and breaking.
Showing 8 of 313 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to metal cookware (nonelectric) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are metal cookware (nonelectric)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, metal cookware (nonelectric) have a danger score of 36/100 (low risk). An estimated 5,114 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from metal cookware (nonelectric)?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 20,829 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from metal cookware (nonelectric) increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for metal cookware (nonelectric) injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 18,321 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by metal cookware (nonelectric)?
Of all ER visits involving metal cookware (nonelectric), approximately 4.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with metal cookware (nonelectric)?
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, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 36/100 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 25-34 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.
