Pretend Electronics, Tools, Housewares & Appliances
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.
Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment · CPSC Code 5020
Down 27% over 5 years
The verdict
Pretend Electronics, Tools, Housewares & Appliances carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,898 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 27% over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,898
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 1.8%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 5020 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,898 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)1.8%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-27%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Pretend Electronics, Tools, Housewares & Appliances (CPSC product code 5020, in the Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment category) generate an estimated 2,898 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 43,477 ER-treated injuries across the 15-year span from 2010 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 declining by about 27% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2012 (4,562 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (1,576 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 7,430 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by ingestion to the internal (4,018 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 28,593 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 1.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 172 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances 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 (2010–2024)
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 | 15,928 | 12,665 | |
| 5-14 | 5,859 | 4,668 | |
| 15-24 | 420 | 810 | |
| 25-34 | 463 | 1,034 | |
| 35-44 | 343 | 415 | |
| 45-54 | 230 | 75 | |
| 55-64 | 84 | 289 | |
| 65-74 | 63 | 112 | |
| 75+ | 16 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Internal | Ingestion | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Mouth | Dental Injury | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
3YOF PRESENTS TOE D W/ IRRITAITON TO LEFT EYE. EARLIER TODAY WHLE PT WAS PLAYING W/ HER TEA SET AND MAKING VANILLA LATTE. PT USED REAL ZINNAMON AND UNFORTUNATELY GOT INTO LEFT EYE. DX: IRRIATION OF LEFT EYE
4YOF HIT IN FACE WITH TOY BROOM. DX: FACIAL LACERATION.
21 MOM FELL ONTO A TOY TEA SET INJURED RIB DX: CONTUSION
42YOM WAS HIT TO EYE WITH CHILDS TOY BROOM STICK, DX TRAUMA TO EYE
2 YOM C/O CHIN LACERATION AFTER FALLING INTO CHILDRENS TOY KITCHEN, FELL ONTO TOY WAGON DX CHIN LACERATION
2YOF STUCK A SMALL MINIATURE TOY PAINT BRUSH UP RIGHT NOSTRIL DX: FOREIGN BODY NOSE
3YOM,NECK INJURY AFTER PLAYING AN SLIPPED FALLING ONTO PLAYSET THAT HAD A SINK,DX:NECK INJURY
6YOF FELL ONTO A PLASTIC TOY PHONE WHILE PLAYING WITH COUSIN ONTO OUTSTRETCHED RIGHT ARM, NOW HAS SEVERE PAIN DX: RIGHT FOREARM PAIN
11YOF STRUCK HER FOOT ON A TOY KITCHEN. DX: FX FOOT
18MOF WAS PLAYING WITH HER BROTHER WITH A WOODEN KITCHEN SET WHEN SHE FELL STRIKING FACE ON THE CORNER OF THE PLAY SET DX: LACERATION FACE
2YOF HIT HER HEAD ON A WOODEN TOY KITCHEN AT HOME DX: LACERATION OF FOREHEAD
4YOF STATES THEY PUT A TOY FOOD IN NOSE DX CONCERN FOR FOREIGN BODY OF NOSE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This is a dress up display, which has hooks for dress up outfits and space to place hats or other items. It is equipped with castors indicating that the unit is meant to move and not required to be mounted to a wall. This is an item that is present in a toddler classroom at my childcare facility. On 8/30/19, a child under the age of 2 years old stepped onto the bottom ledge of this unit to reach a hat on the top of the unit. The unit promptly tipped and fell on top of her. A caregiver was in very close proximity to her, but was not able to intervene quick enough to prevent the incident from occurring. This incident occurred as a result of improper advising of the manufacturer. This unit is meant to mobile because it is on wheels. It does not come with any instructions to mount it or warnings that tipping could occur if used as designed. The child had some soreness and bruising from this incident which lasted for 2 days. Luckily no major injuries were sustained. I have contacted the manufacturer and they have stated that this product has gone through many tipping tests and that children should be supervised while using this furniture. I do not feel that this is an acceptable response as the child in care that day was adequately supervised at the time of the incident and the unit was not unbalanced or improperly used.
Callers 2 year-old daughter was placed in her crib to nap. Caller left her in the room, closed the door and went into the next bedroom. After 10 min, caller heard her daughter starting to cry. Five min later, the cry changed to a distressed tone. Caller went into the childs room and found her daughter on her back in the crib, crying, and saying Stuck! Stuck! Caller immediately realized that the straps of the cell phone toy were wrapped around the childs wrists like a handcuff. Caller went to get a pair of nail scissors (nail scissors for sharpness) and cut the straps off her daughters wrists. Caller held the child until she stopped screaming (10 min). The childs wrists were sore and red. Caller believes the toys straps, as designed, pose a risk to small children as they can cut-off blood flow to their hands. The toy was recommended for children 1 2 years of age. Upon receipt of this report, the consumer may be able to provide the approximate length of the cell phones strap.
My 1yr old daughter was playing with this musical vacuum as usual when she started screaming out of nowhere. Her finger ended up getting smashed between the wheel and wheel cover enough for me to have to pull it out. May have been an isolated incident, but I don't belive this toy is suitable for the age listed.
We received the below Amazon toy as a present for our child. When opening the toy, we were surprised at the harshness of the LED light from the blowtorch. It seemed like UV light to us. It also changes the color of the sushi, which seems like regular light wouldnt do but UV light would do https://a.co/d/ckJk1jl
Exiting the local Target, I went to open a telephone package and the entire back housing of the telephone came off. Inside of the housing was all electronic components for the toy. There was no evidence of the screws holding the back part of the housing to the front part of the housing ever being in place, nor do I believe that I had the strength or ability to pull the housing apart if the screws intended to hold both sides of the housing or in place. I was using the product and removing it from its original packaging in the passenger seat of my vehicle. There was no injuries but I believed that my toddler would have been seriously injured if she was given access to the product outside of the original packaging.
Child's finger got stuck in wooden piece with hole in center of Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tool Kit Wooden Construction Toy. The finger began to lose circulation and after unsuccessfully trying oils and [petroleum] jelly/[REDACTED], the product had to be cut off the finger.
I participated in this recall: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11334.html For this product from Little Tikes: Home Center Workshop UPC 0 50743 04174 7 Model: 4174 When I called Little Tikes customer service, they told me the nails were recalled due to the diameter of the nail head being 1-1/4" inches. The new replacement nails would be 1-3/4" inch diameter. I let the customer rep know that the Home Center Workshop also came with screws that were the same size or smaller than the nails. She told me only the nails were recalled. I am throwing all the nails and the screws away. If the nails are dangerous, so are the screws that are the same size or smaller. I am writing this report in an effort to warn other parents about these pieces as well.
I was putting together the Lovevery tissue box toy for my child. The toy has a bottom cover with four rubber pieces that make it snap into place. While putting the bottom cover on the box, the skin of my pinky finger got caught between the cover and the box as it snapped into place. It was very painful and I have a deep red mark where the skin was caught, likely evidencing some internal bleeding in the pinky tissue. The full extent of my injuries are unknown at this time as I am writing this report right after the incident, but I am still in pain and have the mark. If this toy can cause so much damage to an adults finger, I am concerned about what it could do to a childs finger, such as breaking the finger or severely damaging the skin. A child could play with putting the lid on the tissue box, perhaps after removing the lid themselves, and get their finger caught. There are no warnings in the manufacturers instructions about this tissue box that the cover could be dangerous. This toy is meant for 5-6 months olds, and they have very tiny fingers.
Showing 8 of 172 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,898 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 7,430 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances increasing or decreasing?
Down 27% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 28,593 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances?
Of all ER visits involving pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances, approximately 1.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (98.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with pretend electronics, tools, housewares & appliances?
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 Swimming, Water & Beach 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 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.