Other Power Pruning Or Trimming Equipment
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 1454
Up 14% over 5 years
The verdict
Other Power Pruning Or Trimming Equipment carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 334 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 14% over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 334
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 35-44
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1454 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for other power pruning or trimming equipment - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume334 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+14%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Other Power Pruning Or Trimming Equipment (CPSC product code 1454, in the Lawn & Garden Equipment category) generate an estimated 334 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 6,673 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 31/100 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 rising by about 14% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (772 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2015 (32 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for other power pruning or trimming equipment is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 2,875 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by amputation to the finger (456 cases). The 35-44 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 4.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how other power pruning or trimming equipment 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-14 | 5 | 129 | |
| 15-24 | 496 | 7 | |
| 25-34 | 856 | 93 | |
| 35-44 | 871 | 497 | |
| 45-54 | 710 | 471 | |
| 55-64 | 835 | 443 | |
| 65-74 | 761 | 401 | |
| 75+ | 84 | 16 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Amputation | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Knee | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Finger | Avulsion | |
| Wrist | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
36 YOM USINGA PRUNING SAW, SLIPPED, CUT FINGER. DX FINGER LACERATION
42YOF WAS USING A POWERED GARDEN SHEARS TO TRIM SOME VEGETATION WHEN SHE CAUGHT THE END OF HER LEFT INDEX FINGER RESULTING IN LARGE LACERATION AND NEAR AMPUTATION. DX: COMPLETE TRAUMATIC TRANSPHALANGEAL AMPUTATION LEFT INDEX FINGER
10YOF WAS CUTTING WEEDS W A POWER GARDEN SHEARS AND AMPUTATED ON FINGER AND OPEN FX TO ANOTHER FINGER. DX AMPUTATION OF FINGER L HAND OPEN FX OF FINGER L HAND
51YOM, CUT LEFT INDEX FINGER W/ PRUNING SAW WHLE WORKING IN YARD DX: LACERATION LEFT INDEX FINGER
55YOF PT USING ELECTRIC PRUNING SHEARS & BRUSHED LEFT HAND AGAINST THE BLADE, CUT 3/4TH DIGITS DX: LAC TO DIGITS
74YOF PRESENTS FROM HOME WITH LACERATIONS TO FINGERS WHILE USING GARDENING TOOLS WHILE TRIMMING FLOWERS. DX: THUMB AND MIDDLE FINGER LACERATIONS
16YOF AROUND 1HR PTA PT WAS WALKING OUTSIDE WHEN A PIECE OF TREE BARK FLEW OUT FROM THE TREE TRIMMER AND GOT STUCK IN HER LEFT EYELID. DX: ABRASION OF LEFT CORNEA
26YOM PT USING HEDGE CLIPPERS, ACCIDENTALLY CUT LT MIDDLE FINGER DX: LAC TO FINGER #
68 YOM WAS USING A WEED RAZOR TO CUT DOWN WEEDS AND TRIPPED AND THE RAZOR FELL LANDING ON THE LEFT KNEE. DX: LACERATION TO LEFT KNEE
65 YOF WAS USING MOTORIZED PRUNING SHEARS WEARING HEAVY GLOVES WHEN THE BLADE CAUGHT HER LEFT HAND AND CUT HER THIRD DIGIT DISTALLY. DX: LACERATION LEFT MIDDLE FINGER WITH DAMAGE TO NAIL
37YOM WITH RIGHT FIRST AND MIDDLE FINGER INJURY AFTER FINGERS GOT CAUGHT WHILE USING A LOG CUTTER. REPORTS SNORTING FENTANYL FOR PAIN RELIEF DX: RUE LITTLE FINGER ACUTE TRAUMATIC AMPUTATION AT DISTAL PHALANX
60 YOF LACERATED HER LEFT THUMB WITH ELECTRIC GARDENING CLIPPERS. DX: THUMB LACERATION LEFT
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Message=Would like to report an unsafe product. The product is the Fiskars 31" Power Gear Bypass Lopper with the 3X gear. this product is manufactured in china for Fiskars. The handles are cheaply made plastic inserts that pull out of the handles when using the product to cut branches. I pulled my back muscles severly when trying to apply pressuring when cutting a branch and the handle top came out! Clearly it looks like they used some dribbles of a glue or epoxy to try and keep the handles in. Bad design and dangerous. I have an older smaller Fiskar product, made in USA, that has rubber sleeves that slide over the metal part of the handles kinda like bicycle handles do. Have yet to have any issues with that model. This new bigger model is unsafe and injuries can be very severe as they are larger and made to cut larger branches. This can really be dangerous when someone is on a ladder or just cutting branches above their heads, the handles come out an the rest of the steel unit lands on your head and face. And the unexpected handle removal can cause you to fall and do great harm to yourself.
I bought the ego line IQ trimmer and after opening the box and charging the battery , I began to use the ego line trimmer. It suddenly released the line and cut my leg open.
The consumer stated that on 6/4/15 he sent a letter to the retailer (Attn: [REDACTED]) regarding the safety hazard with his Power Lever Tree Pruner. The consumer stated that the product malfunctioned while he was using it to cut a tree branch. The consumer stated that the pruner came apart at the connector that joins the two poles. It came apart at the lower end of the connector that is factory made tight. The cutting pole end that contains the saw blade came down with great force onto his left arm (bicep area) causing severe pain and bruising. The back of the saw teeth hit his arm. The consumer stated that if the cutting edge of the blade would have hit him, then he could have suffered a deep cut. The consumer added to please be advised that on 6/11/15, he went to the doctor complaining of pain and bruising and a large knot at the location where the blade end of the 14 feet power lever tree pruner hit his left arm in the bicep area. The consumer noted the diagnosis was contusion and hematoma at said area...he then went for an ultrasound on the same day to look for blood clots. The consumer also noted after reviewing the report he noticed two items that should be corrected: 1) It is an injury to his left arm in the bicep area, and 2) His last name is spelled Capria, not Catria. The consumer also added he was notified o 6/10/15 by the insurance carrier of Home Depot that he would start an investigation...The rep, [REDACTED], asked him several questions and he sent the rep several pictures that are on his cell phone. The consumer noted he enclosed the report and letter he sent Home Depot on 6/04/15. The consumer stated he will try to send his cell phone pictures to the website: clearinghouse@CPSC.gov.
The consumer stated that the muffler cover on the trimmer is made with thin sheet metal. The cover is supposed to protect the user from touching the hot muffler. The consumer stated that the vibrations from motor caused the thin metal to undergo metal fatigue. The consumer stated that the metal securing tab for the cover broke off about a year ago. The consumer stated that he contacted the manf at that time to ask for replacement cover. The consumer was informed that they did not have that part anymore. The consumer stated the he proceeded to use the trimmer without the cover. The consumer burnt the inside of his left arm while putting the trimmer away. The consumer took at home first aid measures. The consumer contacted the manf again today regarding the burn incident. The consumer spoke to [REDACTED] at the the manf. The consumer was informed to go replace the unit. The consumer was informed that they do not have the part anymore. The consumer stated that everything in the trimmer is properly working besides the cover that came off. The consumer does not believe that he should have to have the whole trimmer replaced when it is working properly. The consumer stated that the manf should take responsibility to offer a solution when the cover breaks off. The consumers model is not included in the recall.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to other power pruning or trimming equipment on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are other power pruning or trimming equipment?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, other power pruning or trimming equipment have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 334 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from other power pruning or trimming equipment?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 2,875 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from other power pruning or trimming equipment increasing or decreasing?
Up 14% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for other power pruning or trimming equipment injuries?
The 35-44 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 other power pruning or trimming equipment?
Of all ER visits involving other power pruning or trimming equipment, approximately 4.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with other power pruning or trimming equipment?
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 31/100 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 35-44 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.
