Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Recording Tapes ranks #762 of 838 by danger score (26/100) at ER-volume #674 of 838 (288/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #762
- danger rank of 838
- #674
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 26/100
- danger score
- 288/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 (26/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
26 Among the lowest lower than 91% 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: 29/100
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) | 7 | 60th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 288 | 17th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -68% | 16th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 0 | 0th | 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 5,472 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 531. Segments sum to 5,472 - 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 Home Structures & Construction Materials 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.
Home Structures & Construction Materials danger scores
How this 26/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for recording tapes - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 288 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 7.2% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-68%
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 recording tapes are declining by about 68% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2007 (901 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (5 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 646 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the head (532 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,029 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 7.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 0 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how recording tapes 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 | 579 | 450 | |
| 5-14 | 568 | 253 | |
| 15-24 | 451 | 451 | |
| 25-34 | 311 | 280 | |
| 35-44 | 241 | 231 | |
| 45-54 | 216 | 242 | |
| 55-64 | 299 | 535 | |
| 65-74 | 30 | 180 | |
| 75+ | 16 | 138 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Foot | Other | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Mouth | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
57YOM PT CHEWED & SWALLOWED A SMALL PIECE OF CASSETTE TAPE FILM. PT STATES IS FEELING SAD, MISSING MOM & DAD. HISTORY OF ANXIETY WITH DEPRESSION DX: FOREIGN BODY ALIMENTARY TRACT
62YOM PATIENT DROPPED A BOX OF VHS TAPES ON HIS FOOT DX: LIMB ISCHEMIA, ACUTE RIGHT LOWER EXTREMITY DVT
31YOM FELL WHILE HOLDING A VHS VIDEO TAPE AND HIT FACE DX: LACEERATION TO FACE
35 YOM WAS BENDING OVER AND PICKING UP SOME VIDEOS 3 DAYS AGO AND HAS LOW BACK PAIN.DX: LUMBAR STRAIN
7YOM STEPPED ON A VCR TAPE; DX: TOE LAC
15YOF WAS SITTING ON FLOOR LAUGHING AT VIDEOS WITH MOM AND HAD SHARP PAIN ON LEFT SIDE DX CHEST WALL PAIN
6 YO M FAMILY WAS DIGGING OUT OLD VHS TAPES AND ONE HIT PT ON HEAD DX LAC SCALP 1CM
57YOF LAC FINGER ON VCR
2YOF-MOTHER STATES PT HIT IN HEAD SEVERAL TIMES BY BROTHER WITH A VHS TAPE-PT VOMITTED DX: HEAD CONTUSION
62 YOF PILE OF VCR TAPES FELL ON HEAD DX; CONCUSSION W/O LOC
2 YOM INJURED FINGER,PLAYING WITH VHS TAPE/CASSETE AT HOME. DX-LACERATION RIGHT RING FINGER
33 YOM BENT OVER TO INSERT VCR CASSETTE. LB PAIN. STRAIN, LOWER BACK
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to recording tapes on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Structures & Construction Materials
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Recording Tapes: cross-group products nearest on danger score (26/100), estimated annual ER visits (288/yr), and hospitalization share (7.2%). 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.
Related Products in Home Structures & Construction Materials
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, Recording Tapes ranks #762 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #674 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does recording tapes rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, recording tapes ranks #762 by PlainSafety danger score (26/100) and #674 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (288/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from recording tapes?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 646 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from recording tapes increasing or decreasing?
Down 68% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for recording tapes injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,029 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by recording tapes?
Of all ER visits involving recording tapes, approximately 7.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (92.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with recording tapes?
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.