Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Paper Bags ranks #684 of 838 by danger score (29/100) at ER-volume #581 of 838 (624/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #684
- danger rank of 838
- #581
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 29/100
- danger score
- 624/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 (29/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
29 Among the lowest lower than 82% 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: 26/100
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) | 2 | 18th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 624 | 27th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -21% | 34th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 4 | 31st | 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 12,469 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1128. Segments sum to 12,469 - 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 Containers & Packaging 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.
Containers & Packaging danger scores
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for paper bags - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 624 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 2.3% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-21%
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 paper bags are declining by about 21% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2013 (1,054 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2010 (352 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 3,004 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the lower trunk (1,235 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,190 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 2.3% 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 paper bags 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 | 573 | 475 | |
| 5-14 | 636 | 261 | |
| 15-24 | 668 | 851 | |
| 25-34 | 1,036 | 1,154 | |
| 35-44 | 650 | 868 | |
| 45-54 | 830 | 849 | |
| 55-64 | 222 | 843 | |
| 65-74 | 399 | 797 | |
| 75+ | 637 | 724 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
85YOM STATES HE FELL WHILE PICKING UP A BAG OF DOG FOOD, FELL ON HIS BUTTOCKS. DID NOT HIT HEAD.DX: WEDGE COMPRESSION LUMBAR SPINE.
59YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST PAIN AFTER HE TRIPPED AND FELL ONTO A PAPER BAG FULL OF NEWS PAPERS LANDING ON HIS LEFT CHEST WALL. DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF MULTIPLE RIBS OF LEFT SIDE
70YOF PRESENTS WITH INCREASED PAIN AND SWELLING TO LEFT EYELID AFTER HITTING IT WITH A PAPER BAG WHILE BRINGING IN GROCERIES 2 DAYS AGO DX: SWELLING OF EYELID, STYE
85YOM WAS CARRYING GROCERY BAGS INTO THE HOUSE WHEN HE FELT A POP IN HIS BACK DX RT LOW BACK PAIN
80YOF WAS LEANING OVER TO PICK UP A PAPER BAG OFF THE FLOOR WHEN SHE FELL STRIKING HER LEFT KNEE ON THE WALKER DX: LACERATION KNEE, WEAKNESS
42YOF PRESENTS WITH EVALUATION OF LEFT EYE PAIN THAT STARTED TODAY AT 1 PM; PATIENT STATES SHE HAD A PAPER BAG IN HER HAND WHEN SHE WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR AND IN A RUSH, THE EDGE OF THE BAG WENT INTO HER EYE SCRATCHING HER. SHE STATES SINCE THEN SHE HAS HAD EYE PAIN WITH A GENERALIZED HEADACHE AND INCREASED TEARING. DX: CORNEAL ABRASION, PAIN IN EYE
39YOF WAS HANDLING A PAPER BAG AND SUSTAINED A SMALL PAPER CUT TO LEFT MIDDLE FINGER NOW THE AREA IS RED AND SWOLLEN DX: FINGER CELLULITIS
28YOM PRESENTS IN POLICE CUSTODY. PT REPORTS DURING ARREST HE INGESTED A SMALL *** BAG OF FENTANYL. HE REPORTS IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3G. DX: OPIOID OVERDOSE.
27YOM ACCIDENTALLY POKED HIMSELF IN THE RIGHT EYE WITH A PAPER BAG DX: CORNEAL ABRASION
68YOF PRESENTS WITH EYE INJURY AFTER GETTING CUT BY A PAPER BAG. DX: ABRASION TO SCLERA
48YOF HAS PAIN AFTER PT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TEAR OPEN A PAPER BAG THAT WAS TAPED SHUT. DX: PAIN IN RIGHT FINGERS
65YOF, WAS CARRYING A PLATE OF FOOD WHEN TRIPPED OVER A PAPER BAG ON THE FLOOR AND FELL COMPLAINING OF HIP AND RIB PAIN, ON BLOOD THINNER YET WITHOUT EXTERNAL SIGN OF INJURY, DX: FALL, INITIAL ENCOUNTER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
These are green paper gift bags that I purchased in amazon HAI QUAN GREEN GIFT BAGS 50Pcs 8x 4.75X10 inches paper gift bags medium size paper gift bags bulk for shopping ,packing ,wedding, retail ect ect..These bags released such bad intoxicating odors that made me sick too the point that my bones would hurt in my body and I felt lethargic. I have to throw them for the safety of my own I purchased them last week and received them a few days after in June 22nd of 2023. I notified amazon about them but they were careless and neither did they want to refund me and they BLOCKED my bad review about these bags in amazon too. It is as bad as it can be with AMAZON, most of their stuff has intoxicating odors and they never inspect the items that they sell to people. Please inspect ALL the items in AMAZON.
The consumer stated that the bag of popcorn burst into 6" flames 10 seconds after pushing the start button. He saw a big flame inside the microwave through the glass; he turned off the microwave, he opened the door and the popcorn was in flames.He then grabbed a towel and put out the flame. The consumer stated that he purchased individual packaged popcorn. This was the first time they encounter this issue with the same brand of popcorn. The consumer also stated that he went back to the store and purchased individual microwavable popcorn, he placed the popcorn in the microwave using the popcorn feature, after 2 minutes, he took the popcorn out and noticed brown burnt marks underneath the bag. The consumer stated that he was not aware of any damages to his home structure or the microwave and no one was injured. He contacted the manufacturer and they asked him if anyone was hurt. The manufacturer stated that they would mail coupons to the consumer. The consumer believes that this product should be investigated.
Purchased food item from Schlotzky's located in Schertz, Texas on June 13,2018. The left over food, which was two pieces of buttered bread still in the brown bag that Schlotzky's gives to the customer when ordered to go. I placed the bag in our office microwave and set it for 15 seconds. I stopped the microwave with about 3 seconds left by opening the microwave door, the bag was on fire. I removed the bag and put the fire out by slapping my hand on the bag. I immediately called the Schlotzky's location where I purchased the food and explained to the employee who answered the phone. As soon as I told him the bag caught fire he said "oh yea, they will catch on fire" the employee then suggested that he could speak to his manager and see if there was something they could offer me because of what happened and placed me on hold. About 3 to 4 minutes later, the manager picked up the phone and in a very rude tone introduced herself, I'm [REDACTED]. I started to explain again what had happened but she interrupted me by saying "why would you put the bag in the microwave", I continued by telling her that there is nothing printed on the bag that states DO NOT MICROWAVE OR PLACE IN OVEN. She responded by saying "well you should not have put the bag in the microwave". And that was the end of our conversation.
On approx 12/22/2012 I purchased 2 small-medium size target holiday gift bags at the Newburgh, NY Target store. I stored them at home on a table and went to use them the next day. Upon opening them I smelled a strong chemical odor. I sniffed the bags to see what it was and was overcome with an ammonia/mothball type odor. I have none of these chemicals in my home. I left me nauseous and dizzy with labored breathing and a chemical aftertaste in my mouth. I have not seeked medical attention at this point as I feel better today. The illness feeling did last about 1 day and I may still see a doctor. I put the bags outside for several hours to air out and the odor was reduced but it still noticable.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to paper bags on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Containers & Packaging
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Paper Bags: cross-group products nearest on danger score (29/100), estimated annual ER visits (624/yr), and hospitalization share (2.3%). 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.
- Baseball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment; Excl Softball) Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 2.3%admitted
- Futons Floors, Walls & Ceilings 2.3%admitted
- Manual Filing Or Sanding Tools Home Communication & Entertainment 2.3%admitted
- Riding Toys, Not Specified Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 2.4%admitted
Related Products in Containers & Packaging
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, Paper Bags ranks #684 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #581 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does paper bags rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, paper bags ranks #684 by PlainSafety danger score (29/100) and #581 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (624/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from paper bags?
The most common injury is contusions, abr. to the eyeball, accounting for approximately 3,004 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from paper bags increasing or decreasing?
Down 21% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for paper bags injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,190 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by paper bags?
Of all ER visits involving paper bags, approximately 2.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with paper bags?
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.