Paint Thinners Or Varnish Thinners
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.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment · CPSC Code 908
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Paint Thinners Or Varnish Thinners carry a danger score of 34/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 889 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 34/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 889
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 7.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 908 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for paint thinners or varnish thinners - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume889 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)7.3%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+2%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Paint Thinners Or Varnish Thinners (CPSC product code 908, in the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment category) generate an estimated 889 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 17,786 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 34/100 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 2006 (1,478 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2017 (402 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for paint thinners or varnish thinners is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 8,569 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, chemical to the eyeball (939 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,596 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 7.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how paint thinners or varnish thinners 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 | 2,133 | 1,463 | |
| 5-14 | 1,081 | 466 | |
| 15-24 | 2,000 | 751 | |
| 25-34 | 1,710 | 396 | |
| 35-44 | 1,516 | 960 | |
| 45-54 | 1,850 | 554 | |
| 55-64 | 1,109 | 271 | |
| 65-74 | 646 | 298 | |
| 75+ | 534 | 49 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Hand | Burn, Chemical | |
| Foot | Burn, Chemical | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Trunk | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Derma/conjunct | |
| Face | Burn, Chemical | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Chemical |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
13YOM PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING *** GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING *** GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED BY HIS HOUSE. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
62YOM PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING TOLUENE GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING TOLENE GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED CLOSE TO HIS HOUSE. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
15YOM PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING *** GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING *** GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED BY HIS HOUSE. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
16YOF PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING TOLUENE GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING TOLENE GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED BY HER HOUSE. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
42YOF PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING *** GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING *** GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED BY HER HOUSE. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
9YOF PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING TOLUENE GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING TOLENE GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED NEXT TO THE PATIENTS HOME. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
10YOM PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AFTER INHALING TOLUENE GAS. A TRAILER TRUCK CONTAINING TOLENE GAS TUMBLED OVER AND SOME GAS WAS RELEASED BY THE PATIENTS HOME. THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS. DX: INHALATION OF GASEOUS SUBSTANCE
24YOM TOOK SIP OF PAINT THINNER ON ACCIDENT AND SPIT OUT. C/O BURNING SENSATION TO MOUTH AND LIPSDX CHEMICAL EXPOSURE
8YOM WITH ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF PAIN THINNER.DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF PETROLEUM PRODUCT.
80YOM STATES THAT HE SPILLED PAINT THINNER ON HIS RIGHT LOWER LEG FIVE DAYS AGO AND DID NOT CLEAN IT OFF NOW HAS AN OPEN WOUND DX: OPEN WOUND TO RIGHT LOWER LEG; CELLULITIS
2 YOF DRANK PAINT THINNER THAT WAS IN A WATER BOTTLE DX; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION
5YOF WITH INGESTION OF UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF PAINT REMOVER AT HOME. DX: TOXIC EFFECT OF PAINT THINNER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
(08/26/2025) The consumer has a safety concern with the product that he purchased. He stated the product is mislabeled. It is sold as lacquer thinner, but it is actual acetone. The consumer checked other labels in the store for the same product. They are all mislabeled.
The consumer purchased the product and put it on the floor of the passenger side in his vehicle. While driving, he braked and the product hit something. The plastic cap came off and the content poured out on the floor of his vehicle. It started a fire in his car. The consumer contacted a fire fighter. He was informed that a spontaneous combustion occurred which caused the fire. The consumer stated that the whole vehicle is damaged. The consumer contacted Klean Strip. The consumer was referred to their third party insurance company. The consumer was informed by the insurance company that they would not assist him since he didn't have an actual can as an evidence to prove that the incident occurred from Klean Strip lacquer thinner. The consumer stated that the can burnt with the car and he has no physical evidence. The consumer pulled into a car wash when the fire started. One of the vacuums at the car wash also melted.
On February 26, 2020, I purchased a one gallon container of Sunnyside Paint Thinner, The product number is 701G1 and the UPC number under the bar code is 076542000303. The container is made of white plastic and the factory seal under the cap is still intact. Over the course of the weeks since this purchase, I have noticed the odor of paint thinner in my basement whenever I went near the area where this paint thinner is stored. I have repetitively sniffed around my basement to determine the source of this odor as I am worried about causing explosive fumes to build up in my basement. I have an opened and partially used container of the same product as well as this new unopened container. Each time I would notice the odor I would sniff for the source. But it was not the previously opened container of paint thinner that was emitting the odor each time I but the new unopened container. I even tried placing the new container of paint thinner in a different part of my basement and each time I find the odor of paint thinner is strongest next to the unopend container of paint thinner. I have this container of paint thinner now sitting on my desk at my computer as I write this report to you. When I put my nose next to the container I can distinctly notice the outside of the container smells of paint thinner. Yet the container of paint thinner still has its intact seal under the cap. Also, the plastic container has started to collapse inward as if some of the product has been removed and the container was squeezed to let the air out and then resealed again. But I assure you this container has never been opened. Any loss of liquid contents of this container must have occurred as a result of the out-gassing of the product through the walls of the plastic container after the container was filled and sealed at the factory. I would guess the perhaps about a half of cup of paint thinner has out-gassed so far from this sealed one gallon container of paint thinner judging fr
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to paint thinners or varnish thinners on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are paint thinners or varnish thinners?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, paint thinners or varnish thinners have a danger score of 34/100 (low risk). An estimated 889 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from paint thinners or varnish thinners?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 8,569 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from paint thinners or varnish thinners increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for paint thinners or varnish thinners injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,596 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by paint thinners or varnish thinners?
Of all ER visits involving paint thinners or varnish thinners, approximately 7.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (92.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with paint thinners or varnish thinners?
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 Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 34/100 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 0-4 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.
