37
CPSC NEISS Data 2005–2024

Pictures, Picture Frames Or Wall Decorations

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 Furnishings & Fixtures · CPSC Code 652

Down 20% over 5 years

The verdict

Pictures, Picture Frames Or Wall Decorations carry a danger score of 37/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 16,935 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 20% over the last five years.

37/100
danger score (low risk)
16,935
ER visits per year (avg)
3.4%
end in hospital admission
15-24
most-injured age group

Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 652 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10037/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 37/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for pictures, picture frames or wall decorations - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume16,935 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)3.4%
  • Fatality rate0.03%
  • 5-year trend-20%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Pictures, Picture Frames Or Wall Decorations (CPSC product code 652, in the Home Furnishings & Fixtures category) generate an estimated 16,935 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 338,696 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 37/100 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 declining by about 20% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (19,660 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (13,194 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for pictures, picture frames or wall decorations is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 46,525 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the hand (33,311 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 52,894 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 3.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.03%) result in fatality.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 24 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how pictures, picture frames or wall decorations 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.

16,935
Injuries / Year
3.4%
Hospitalization Rate
0.03%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

12K14K16K18K20K 20052008201120142017202020232024 15K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Pictures, Picture Frames Or Wall Decorations, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 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 28,879 21,157 50,036
5-14 24,261 22,167 46,428
15-24 27,584 25,310 52,894
25-34 20,838 25,271 46,137
35-44 13,862 22,369 36,231
45-54 10,655 22,439 33,134
55-64 8,201 18,915 27,116
65-74 6,967 14,736 21,703
75+ 7,431 17,523 25,022

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Finger Laceration 46,525
Hand Laceration 33,311
Face Laceration 22,435
Head Laceration 20,633
Foot Laceration 18,117
Head Internal Injury 17,776
Lower Leg Laceration 16,564
Lower Arm Laceration 11,453
Foot Contusions, Abr. 7,477
Wrist Laceration 6,581
Toe Laceration 6,394
Head Contusions, Abr. 6,085
Knee Laceration 5,869
Hand Contusions, Abr. 5,737
Face Contusions, Abr. 4,651

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 95.0% (321,664)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 2.8% (9,426)
Left Without Being Seen 1.6% (5,469)
Treated And Transferred 0.5% (1,547)
Held For Observation 0.1% (492)
Fatality Incl. Doa, Died In Er 0.0% (109)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 34 · Male · Foot · Other · 2024

34 YOM STUBBED FOOT ON SIGN DX: PAIN

Age 71 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

71YOF STATES THAT A PICTURE FRAME FELL ONTO HER HEAD DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY

Age 16 · Female · Face · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

16YOF C/O NASAL PAIN STATUS POST INJURY. WAS LAYING IN BED THIS MORNING WHEN A PICTURE FRAME FELL ONTO HER NOSE. ERYTEHMA ND EDEMA NOTED TO NASAL BRIDGE. SCANS WERE NEGATIVE. DX: CONTUSION OF NOSE

Age 75 · Female · Foot · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

75 YOF 10 DAYS AGO SHE DROPPED A HEAVY PICTURE FRAME ON TOP OF HER RIGHT FOOT. AREA RED AND BRUISING TO 3 TOES.ON WARFARIN.NO INR DONE. DX: CELLULITIS RIGHT FOOT, CONTUSION RIGHT FOOT.

Age 65 · Male · Face · Laceration · 2024

65YOM PATIENT WAS ASSISTING A FRIEND ON MOVING A DEER MOUNT WHEN IT FELL OFF THE WALL AND THE ANTLERS STUCK HIM IN THE FACE DX: LACERATION OF LEFT CHEEK

Age 24 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

24YOF SAYS WENT TO PICKUP SOMETHING OFF THE FLOOR, & IN COMING UP SHE HIT HEAR HEAD ON A FRAME & THEN IT FELL & HIT HEAD AGAIN & CAUSED AN ABRASION TO SCALP DX INJURY OF HEAD, ABRASION OF SCALP

Age 36 · Female · Eyeball · Other · 2024

36 YOF. EYE PAIN AFTER A FORK LIFT HIT A GLASS FRAMED, & A PIECE BROKE & HIT HER EYE. DX: TRAUMATIC IRITIS

Age 14 · Female · Finger · Laceration · 2024

14YOF WAS REACHING FOR SOME ITEMS IN A BIN AND FINGER WAS SCRATCHED BY PICTURE FRAME RESULTING IN LAC DX: INJURY OF FINGER OF LEFT HAND

Age 6 · Male · Foot · Laceration · 2024

6YOM STEPPED ON A GLASS PICTURE FRAME WHILE HE WAS JUMPING ON THE BED. DX: LAC FOOT, LAC ANKLE

Age 39 · Female · Finger · Laceration · 2024

39YOF BIB EMS AFTER PD FOUND THE PT ACUTELY INTOXICATED AT A FRIEND'S APARTMENT. THE PT WAS FOUND ROLLING AROUND IN GLASS WITH MULTIPLE ITEMS IN THE HOME BROKEN SUCH AS PICTURE FRAMES AND A TV. FREIND STSTED THAT SHE DRANK AN ENTIRE BOTTLE OF VODKA AND USED CRACK COCAINE. LAC NOTED TO THE THUMB WITH ABRASIONS TO THE KNEES, THIGH AND CALF. BAL 396. DX: ETOX INTOX WITHOUT COMP, COCAINE INTOX

Age 18 · Female · Upper Trunk · Other · 2024

18YOF PRESENTS AFTER A FALL WITH CHEST STRIKE ON A METAL FRAME IN HER ROOM. DX: RIB PAIN

Age 4 · Female · Face · Laceration · 2024

4YOF, BROUGHT IN AFTER A PICTURE FRAME FELL STRIKING PATIENT'S FACE, DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT EYEBROW

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

8/9/2012 · Incident, No Injury · TIMELESS EXPRESSIONS, LLC · New Jersey

Hi, I bought a 24X36 inch picture frame from AC Moore in Secaucus NJ. The frame is manufactured by Timeless Decor (see timelessframes.com). It contains a heavy piece of extremely fragile plate glass. I attempted to use the frame and discovered the hanging mechanism was simply a sawtooth hanger with two small nails. Since the sawtooth has to be hammered in to the frame, I attempted to remove the sheet of glass. With hardly any pressure, the glass broke as I tried to remove it from the frame. I brought the frame back and exchanged it. On my second try I was able to successfully remove and then reinstall the glass. Realizing the danger in hanging such a heavy piece of fragile glass, I hung the frame on two anchored screws. I quickly discovered that the weight of the frame, however, began to pull the sawtooth hanger out of the frame (I took the frame down after about 1 minute and found the nails had already slipped about 25%). If left for long enough on my wall, I have little doubt that this frame would come crashing to the ground. I intend to return the frame tomorrow. The frame is a hazard. Asking an average consumer to hang a heavy piece of glass with a simple sawtooth hanger is simply insane. This product needs to be recalled. The manufacturer needs to install pre-tested hanging mechanisms that will not fail. The place I wished to hang this is in a high traffic area in my house. I suspect a gentle bump would have brought this frame crashing down (due to failure of the sawtooth nails) next to the person who bumped into it. I don't know what would happen to the glass if this should happen (would it shatter?), but I don't intend to find out. I will not have this product in my home. Regards, [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

8/25/2020 · Incident, No Injury · Target · New York

Purchased four (4) Room Essentials 11x15" Gallery Frames (item # 074 15 5393) at target.com some time in the first half of 2018. Items were inspected upon receipt and stored in their original packaging. Frames were hung on or about June 12, 2020, with an appropriate hanging hook. Today one of the frames came apart and fell off the wall. A sharp piece of plastic broke off. This line of home goods is marketed towards college students - if someone had hung this frame over their dorm room bed, they could have been seriously injured when it fell. Frame consists of an outer metal frame and inner plastic frame. These click together, with two sheets of clear plastic between (front facing plastic is thicker and "glass like"). Photo would be sandwiched between the two sheets of plastic. I had not put photos in any of the frames yet, but I did make sure the inner and outer frames were snapped together before hanging them. Spoke with two customer service representatives and one quality/safety specialist at Target about my concerns. They will not refund my purchase because it is past the one year return window. The specialist did say she would relay my comments to their manufacturer.

7/25/2024 · Incident, No Injury · Parke-Bell Ltd., Inc. dba Touch of Class · Illinois

Order Number : [REDACTED] purchased at: https://www.touchofclass.com/valensia-wall-teester-bed-crown-platinum/p/AW42-001/ It had been only 20 days that I installed this bed crown or wall teester on the wall above my bedhead. On that morning, it fell off because a part of it broke and almost hit me in the head! It fell on my pillow then, but it's very dangerous and scary. If I had been hit by it during my sleep, the consequences would be unimaginably devastating and deadly. How can the seller and manufacturer be such unresponsible and careless on a product used for bedroom?

6/26/2015 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · MCS Industries Inc · Oregon

I cut myself trying to take the back off of a picture frame purchased at Michael's craft store in Portland, Oregon. The back had mistakenly been glued to the frame in two places. My hand was cut by a metal tab meant to hold the backing in place.

6/22/2023 · Incident, No Injury · Walmart Stores Inc. · Pennsylvania

Caller is reporting tiny shards of glass in the corner of the picture frame. Caller stated that it is instructed to press on the glass to release the frame, however, when that is done the glass breaks because it is made from cheap glass. Caller stated that he reported the incident to the store but they have not removed the product from the shelf. He stated that his report from the store is [REDACTED]. Caller stated that this product is a safety hazard and should be removed from the shelves before consumers are seriously injured. You requested model number and serial number. I don't think this product has either, but you will find Walmart's identifying numbers on the included photos. The product packaging identifies the product as FRONT LOADING FRAME. Please note: I found approximately 19 variations of this product at my local Walmart store (Waynesboro, PA 17268). These frames are pretty much identical except that they come in many different sizes. All this you can see in the included photos. These photos are representative of the various sizes; I could not photograph them all. This is clearly a dangerous product. When you follow the brief instructions, It easily breaks into extremely sharp needle-like shards of glass. I have spent several hours researching this product, taking photos and contacting Walmart and then the CPSC. I certainly hope CPSC will investigate this matter with urgency, because apparently this product is widely available. The problem: The instructions for these frames say to push out the glass at the corners. When you do, the quite thin and apparently poor-quality glass easily splinters at the corners, leaving shards of glass. There is no warning or caution notice in the instructions. I looked at reviews online for this product at Walmart.com. Several reviewers noted that the glass broke when they tried to use this product. I returned the picture frame I bought because there were broken pieces of glass in the packaging, though I h

6/20/2024 · Incident, No Injury · HomeGoods · Pennsylvania

A 17lb picture frame bought from Home Goods, broke and fell off of the wall. The D-rings were screwed to the back of the frame. The frame cracked where the D-rings connect to the frame, resulting in the D-rings completely separating from the frame. The frame fell onto my couch. Luckily no humans or dogs were on the couch at the time!

5/24/2014 · Incident, No Injury · 3M CO. · Washington

After spending a small fortune on frames to create a gallery wall of my children's artwork throughout the years, I decided to go with the command [fastener] picture hanging strips. I followed every step, doubling up on strips even when the weight of my frames where nowhere near the lowest weight recommended. Less than 20 minutes of having 12 frames, three large 15 3/4 x 19 3/4 frames leapt off the walls from various positions narrowly missing not just my head but my children. I have 9 ft ceilings and my gallery wall went the from floor to ceiling. Two of the frames went from the very top, those once we tripled your recommended strips. One took another one down with it. My husband is currently vacuuming out our laundry room and rewashing every thing that was in there as glass went everywhere. I myself could only brace myself against the two falling picture frames and while I was lucky not to get cut, I have glass dust and small particles all over my hair. If either of my children had been standing where I was standing I would be in the hospital right now. It is beyond irresponsible to sell a product that is as unsafe as this one is. While I absolutely hate the holes that nails and screws leave behind at least when I hang my pictures from them my life and health is not in danger. The product is unsafe and the trust I placed in Command as a company is shattered along with the glass on my laundry room floor.

5/19/2017 · Incident, No Injury · Walmart Stores Inc. · Ohio

Caller is reporting that the weight of the glass in picture frame cause the frame to disassemble and could cause harm to consumers. He stated that the frame was on the wall and the glass fell out shattering glass pieces all over the floor. He stated that the glass shards hit the floor and made indentions and if someone was present it could have caused injuries. Caller stated that he returned the product to the retailer. He stated that there was no manufacturer or contact it had the retailer information.

Showing 8 of 24 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to pictures, picture frames or wall decorations on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are pictures, picture frames or wall decorations?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, pictures, picture frames or wall decorations have a danger score of 37/100 (low risk). An estimated 16,935 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from pictures, picture frames or wall decorations?

The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 46,525 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from pictures, picture frames or wall decorations increasing or decreasing?

Down 20% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for pictures, picture frames or wall decorations injuries?

The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 52,894 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by pictures, picture frames or wall decorations?

Of all ER visits involving pictures, picture frames or wall decorations, approximately 3.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with pictures, picture frames or wall decorations?

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.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 37/100 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.