Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Rust Removers ranks #526 of 838 by danger score (33/100) at ER-volume #750 of 838 (112/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #526
- danger rank of 838
- #750
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 33/100
- danger score
- 112/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 (33/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
33 Lower than most lower than 63% 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: 46/100
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) | 20 | 93rd | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 112 | 9th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -26% | 26th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 5 | 34th | 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 2,230 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 937. Segments sum to 2,230 - 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 Workshop Tools & Equipment 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 Workshop Tools & Equipment danger scores
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for rust removers - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 112 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 19.9% Very high admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-26%
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 rust removers are declining by about 26% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2022 (260 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2008 (7 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 666 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, chemical to the hand (526 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 539 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 19.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how rust removers 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 | 178 | 164 | |
| 5-14 | 68 | 60 | |
| 15-24 | 72 | 158 | |
| 25-34 | 16 | 133 | |
| 35-44 | 113 | 0 | |
| 45-54 | 353 | 186 | |
| 55-64 | 315 | 171 | |
| 65-74 | 81 | 15 | |
| 75+ | 28 | 120 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Hand | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Hand | Other | |
| Shoulder | Burn, Chemical | |
| Finger | Burn, Chemical | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Face | Derma/conjunct | |
| Lower Arm | Other | |
| Elbow | Burn, Chemical |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
76YOF PRESENTS WITH RIGHT HAND CHEMICAL BURN WITH RUST STAIN REMOVER. HER FINGERS WERE IN THE CHEMICAL FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AS SHE WAS SCRUBBING WITHOUT GLOVES. AS SOON AS SHE STOPPED, SHE NOTICED PAIN AND BURNING IN HER FINGERTIPS. DX: BURN RIGHT HAND
75YOM WAS USING *** RUST REMOVER ON HIS HOUSE WHEN HE GOT SOME SPLASHED INTO HIS RIGHT EYE DX: CHEMICAL BURN EYEBALL
39YOM REPORTS HE WAS TRYING TO CLEAN A PORCH YESTERDAY, REMOVING RUST WITH AN UNKNOWN CHEMICAL THAT SPILLED ON HIS HANDS. PATIENT NOTICED SWELLING AND BLISTERS ON HIS FINGERS OF BOTH HANDS. DX: CHEMICAL BURN, PAIN IN BOTH HANDS, BLISTERS OF MULTIPLE SITES.
2YOF PRESENT WITH MOTHER FOR EVAL OF ACCIDENTAL INGESTION. SHE WAS IN THE GARAGE AT HOME AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE GOTTEN HOLD OF A RUST CLEANER. MOTHER BELIEVES SHE PUT HER MOUTH ON IT BUT IT IS UNKNOWN IF SHE ACTUALLY INGESTED OR SWALLOWED ANY. IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SPITTING. POISON CONTROL WAS CONTACTED.RECOMMENDED ED VISIT. DX: INGESTION OF CORROSIVE CHEMICAL
52YOF STS WAS USING A RUST REMOVER TO CLEAN TOOLS WITHOUT GLOVES AND HAS CHEMICAL BURNS TO L FINGERSDX HYDROFLUORIC ACID BURN L HAND
37YOM WAS WORKING ON HIS CAR AND SPRAYED SOME RUST REMOVER AND IT GOT INTO HIS RIGHT EYE DX: CHEMICAL BURN TO EYE
29 YOF WAS USING A RUST REMOVER WHEN THE BOTTLE SLIPPED AND SPILLED ON HER HANDS. DX: HYDROFLUORIC ACID EXPOSURE.
3YOF PRESENTS AFTER SHE GOT INTO A CABINET AND DRANK RUST REMOVER AROUND MIDNIGHT. MOM SAW A DRIP OF THE FLUID IN THE CORNER OF HER MOUTH, BUT DOES NOT BELIEVE SHE DRANK MUCH OF IT. SHE DID CONTACT POISON CONTROL DUE TO THE HYDROFLUORIC ACID IN IT. DR. ALSO SPOKE WITH POISON CONTROL. DX: POISONING, SUSPECTED FOREIGN BODY INGESTION BY INFANT NOT FOUND AFTER EVALUATION
3 YOM SPRAYED CALCIUM, LIME & RUST REMOVER ALL OVER NIGHTSTAND AS WELL AS INTO HIS EYES WHEN PARENTS TOOK EYES OFF OF PT FOR A MOMENT. PARENTS CALLED POISON CONTROL AND WASHED PT'S EYES OUT BUT PT REFUSES TO OPEN EYES. DX: CORNEAL INJURY R EYE.
46 YO M GOT RUST/ STAIN REMOVER IN EYES DX CHEMICAL BURN LT EYE
80 YOF PICKED UP PAPER TOWEL THAT WAS SOAKED IN RUST STAIN REMOVER, DEVELOPED TINGLING IN HAND. DX CHEMICAL HAND BURN
61 YO F CONTACT DERMATITIS FACE-DEVELOPED A RASH FROM RUST REMOVER
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
MIXED LIME-AWAY & [REDACTED] TO CLEAN GLASSES Lungs: severe wheezing SOB, vomiting Discharged home in improved condition after 2 days in hospital Diagnosis: chemical pneumonitis
Cleaning bath tub with rust remover Iron out. Lungs: Diffuse wheezes in both bases bilaterally. SOB, cough. Discharged home in stable condition. Diagnosis: Acute inhalational lung injury
Cleaning tub with iron out. Lungs: normal. DIB, Asthma. Discharged home in stable condition. Diagnosis: Chemical irritation of airway.
A 15 YOM experienced chemical pneumonitis after being exposed to rust remover while watching his dad cleaning bathroom.
Cleaning BR with Ironout Lungs: Clear SOB, DIB Discharged home in stable condition Diagnosis: Acute bronchospasm
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to rust removers on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Rust Removers: cross-group products nearest on danger score (33/100), estimated annual ER visits (112/yr), and hospitalization share (19.9%). 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.
- Residential Alternative Energy Systems For On-site Power Gen Floors, Walls & Ceilings 19.8%admitted
- Fuel Multi-purpose Lighters, Incl. Micro-torches Personal Care & Safety Products 19.8%admitted
- Nightwear Personal Care & Safety Products 19.8%admitted
- Gas Or Lp Heaters, Other Or Not Specified Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares 20.5%admitted
Related Products in Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
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, Rust Removers ranks #526 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #750 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does rust removers rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, rust removers ranks #526 by PlainSafety danger score (33/100) and #750 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (112/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from rust removers?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 666 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from rust removers increasing or decreasing?
Down 26% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for rust removers injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 539 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by rust removers?
Of all ER visits involving rust removers, approximately 19.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (80.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with rust removers?
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.