Radios (self-contained Units)
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 Structures & Construction Materials · CPSC Code 555
Down 19% over 5 years
The verdict
Radios (self-contained Units) carry a danger score of 29/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 603 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 19% over the last five years.
- 29/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 603
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 2.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 555 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for radios (self-contained units) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume603 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)2.7%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-19%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Radios (self-contained Units) (CPSC product code 555, in the Home Structures & Construction Materials category) generate an estimated 603 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 12,051 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 29/100 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 19% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (1,097 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (278 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for radios (self-contained units) is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 1,266 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (904 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,608 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 2.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 67 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how radios (self-contained units) 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 | 1,340 | 1,268 | |
| 5-14 | 463 | 690 | |
| 15-24 | 708 | 881 | |
| 25-34 | 805 | 788 | |
| 35-44 | 667 | 598 | |
| 45-54 | 515 | 508 | |
| 55-64 | 444 | 469 | |
| 65-74 | 545 | 369 | |
| 75+ | 280 | 718 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ankle | Other | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Head | Concussion |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
50 YOF NOTES R ANKLE AND FOOT PAIN. WAS REAKING UP A DOG FIGHT LAST NIGHT WHEN SHE FELL DOWN AND HER ANKLE MONITOR PUSHED IN TO HER R FOOT. DX: R ANKLE SPRAIN, R FOOT SPRAIN.
27YOM PRESENTS TO ED WITH 3 DAYS OF PAIN, REDNESS, EDEMA TO LEFT DISTAL CALF AND ANKLE. PATIENT ARRIVES WITH LEFT ANKLE MONITOR AND ESCORT. HE HAS HAD THE LEFT ANKLE MONITOR SINCE AUGUST THIS YEAR. STARTING 3 DAYS AGO HE DEVELOPED REDNESS, PAIN, AND EDEMA TO LEFT DISTAL CALF AND ANKLE, SIMILAR IN REGION TO ANKLE MONITOR. DX: CELLULITIS OF LLE
37YOF PRESENTS W/ C/O RIGHT ANKLE PAIN FROM AN ANKLE MONITOR. ASKING US TO TAKE OFF THE MONITOR, AND GIVE HER A NOTE THAT SHE CANNOT WEAR IT. REPORTS PAIN AND HAS ABRASIONS FROM THE MONITOR DX: CHRONIC ANKLE PAIN
95YOF TO ER FOR LEFT HIP PAIN, PT FELL IN HOME AFTER LOSING HER FOOTING, PT LIVES BY HERSELF W/ HER SON LIVING AS HER NEIGHBOR WHO CHECKS ON HER & HAS BABY MONITOR TO KEEP EYE ON HER,AND HEARD HER FALL, NO THINNER USE DX FALL, UTI W/O HEMATURIA, LEFT HIP PAIN
40 YOM C/O ANKLE PAIN AFTER WEARING ANKLE MONITOR DX ANKLE PAIN, PT LEFT AMA
26YOM BROUGHT IN BY SELF COMPLAINS OF LEFT ANKLE PAIN DUE TO ANKLE MONITOR BEING PLACED TODAY. DX: ACUTE LEFT ANKLE PAN
50YOM A MONITOR FELL OFF THE WALL AND STRUCK HIM IN THE HEAD DX FACIAL LACERATION
23YOF WAS CHANGING HER RADIO IN THE CAR, PULLED IT OUT, AND IT STRUCK HER RIGHT KNEE. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF RIGHT KNEE
6 MOM PRESENTS WITH FACIAL LACERATION S/P WAS AT HOME WHEN A BABY MONITOR FELL ON PATIENT'S FACE. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
9MOF BABY MONITOR FELL OFF SHELF AND HIT PTS HEAD DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
38YOF PRESENTS WITH AN AREA OF IRRITATION AND INFECTION TO HER LEFT ANKLE AFTER WEARING A DRUG ANKLE MONITORING BRACELET DX: CELLULITIS OF LEFT LOWER EXTREMITY
38YOM PERSENTS WITH TOO TIGHT PAROLE MONITORING BRACELET ON RIGHT ANKLE, THAT WAS PUT ON LAST WEEK. FEELS IT IS CUTTING INTO HIS SKIN, LOST PAROLE OFFICER NUMBER.. ALSO STATES A HEALING SORE ON LOWER LEG, STATES ITS FROM A BICYCLE PEDAL A FEW DAYS BEFORE HIS ARREST, HIS SHIN HIT THE CURB. DX: PAIN OF RIGHT LOWER EXTREMITY, CELLULITIS OF RIGHT LOWER ETREMITY, TRAUMATIC OPEN WOUND OF RIGHT LOWER LEG
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The baby monitor was plugged into the wall outlet, but it was in the "off" position. The consumer said that they always leave the monitor plugged into the wall unless they are going to take it somewhere. The consumer said the electric cord plug is what was damaged from this incident. The consumer said she noticed an electric noise from the baby monitor and it was crackling like something in a frying pan. The consumer checked the cord and attempted to remove it. The end of the electric cord with the metal prongs that plug into the wall outlet was almost fused to the wall outlet. The consumer was able to remove the plug from the wall, but that end of it was melted. The plug was damaged, but it did not trip the breaker. After the consumer removed the plug from the wall outlet, she went down stairs and tripped the circuit breaker. The consumer noted that they had to get an electrician to come out and replace the wall outlet. The consumer called the mfr's and left them a voice message and asked for a return call within 24 hours, but she has not received it. The consumer believes that this could have led to a fire if she did not noticed the problem when she did.
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a burn injury sustained by my son due to a bedwetting alarm device purchased from Amazon, following the recommendation of his pediatrician. On the advice of our pediatrician, we purchased a wireless bedwetting alarm designed to assist with nighttime enuresis. The device consists of a small moisture sensor placed in the childs underwear and a wireless receiver that vibrates and sounds an alarm when moisture is detected. (2025 New Wireless Bedwetting Alarm for Boys & Girls. Sold by OVEVVE-US. Shipped by AMAZON) Prior to use, we tested the alarm by placing the sensor under running water. The receiver responded appropriately by vibrating and sounding the alarm, confirming it was functioning as intended. We used the device for the first time on the evening of August 30th 2025. As instructed in the product manual, we placed the sensor in my sons underwear. My son placed receiver in the waistband of his pajama pants, so he could feel the vibration when the alarm sounded. The manual states: "Place the receiver where the child can hear the alarm. Monitoring begins." It does not warn against placing the receiver in direct contact with the skin. My son went to bed at approximately 8:00 PM and slept through the night. Upon waking at 7:30 AM on August 31st 2025, he complained of pain on his left hip. Upon examination, I discovered a deep burn on his skin, approximately 1.5 cm wide, with a blue corrosive stain and an indentation matching the shape of the prongs on the receiver. My son had wet the bed during the night but did not wake up due to being a heavy sleeper, and he remained lying on the receiver until morning. Upon inspecting the device, I noticed two small metal prongs on the back of the receiver, the side that had been pressed against his skin. These prongs were coated with a blue corrosive substance, which appears to have transferred to and embedded into his skin. My father, a retired medical doctor with over
My husband and I really enjoyed this monitor for the first few months that we had it. We even bought a second camera to put elsewhere in the house so that we could monitor his playtime. However, on 09/01/11 at 2:00am, I woke to the sound of static coming from the monitor. My husband reached over and tried to turn the video feed on (the screen had gone black), but it wouldn't come on. Just a black screen and static on the audio. He turned it off and back on, same result. Then he turned the device over and we could see a bright glow coming from the little vents on the back of the device, and could quickly smell the odor of burning electronics as the back inside of the device caught fire. We immediately jumped out of bed, unplugged the device from the wall and carried it outside by the antenna. The device was plugged directly into a wall outlet, not into any crazy chain of surge protectors or anything else, and had never been wet, played with, handled by our child, pet, was not close to any moisture or heat, etc. or anything else out of the ordinary. It was simply sitting on our nightstand like every other night for the past 4+ months. This device is apparently poorly manufactured and had we not woken up when it started to catch on fire, who knows what would have happened.
The baby monitor was being used for its indicated purpose. It was plugged in overnight as we were monitoring our baby. In the morning we went to unplug it and it was not working and was hot. Upon examining the parent unit we noticed the outside of the battery cover was melted. We pried open the cover, which was too damaged to open correctly, and found the battery and plastic areas of the interior of the device were melted. The monitor device was sitting on headboard of our bed, not exposed to any heat or extreme conditions. There were no injuries, we waited until the device had cooled before attempting to open it. I contacted the company who made this device expressing our concerns, but have received no response.
We used this baby monitor for about 6 months, all of which time the wall power adapter would get very hot. I then noticed the wall power adapter plug started to crack on the parent unit. Within 1-2 weeks it completely cracked open so that you could see the inside of the plug adapter. This could have caused not only a fire but God forbid one of my babies had touched it!
We bought a Motorola baby video monitor 5/27/12. This summer the parent unit wasn't charging well or holding a charge. I would normally charge it on my nightstand overnight and hadn't moved the charger in several weeks but because it was dead during naptime, I went to move the charger downstairs. When I unplugged the charger I realized the insulation had broken away from the transformer and there were frayed, exposed copper wires. No injury occurred but the potential for someone to get electrocuted is significant. This charger was rarely moved so there's no reason this sort of damage should have occurred unless it's a defective product.
8/2/2012) The consumer stated that she plugged in her clock/radio for the first time. After having it in for approximately 2 weeks, she noticed that she would become very nauseous, migraine headaches, eye throbbing, etc. The consumer also started to smell an odor in her room as if something was burning. She immediately unplugged the unit. Her symptoms seemed to have dissipated after she had done this. The consumer stated that she had done research on the Internet for clock/radio and radiation symptoms. The information given was the same symptoms that she was experiencing. The consumer had not contacted the manufacturer. Note: The consumer did not receive medical attention.
Woke up in the middle of the night from the smell of smoke and saw smoke coming from monitor charger cord. The smoke was specifically coming from the end plugged into the wall. The product was returned to Babies R Us and replaced at no charge.
Showing 8 of 67 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to radios (self-contained units) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are radios (self-contained units)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, radios (self-contained units) have a danger score of 29/100 (low risk). An estimated 603 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from radios (self-contained units)?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 1,266 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from radios (self-contained units) increasing or decreasing?
Down 19% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for radios (self-contained units) injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,608 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by radios (self-contained units)?
Of all ER visits involving radios (self-contained units), approximately 2.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with radios (self-contained units)?
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 Structures & Construction Materials
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 29/100 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.