Scales, Electric/battery Operated (exclud. Baby Scales)
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.
Floors, Walls & Ceilings · CPSC Code 4066
Down 39% over 5 years
The verdict
Scales, Electric/battery Operated (exclud. Baby Scales) carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 309 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 39% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 309
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 26.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 4066 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume309 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)26.3%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-39%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Scales, Electric/battery Operated (exclud. Baby Scales) (CPSC product code 4066, in the Floors, Walls & Ceilings category) generate an estimated 309 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 6,170 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 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 39% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (798 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2008 (44 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 887 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the head (548 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 3,310 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 26.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 21 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) 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 | 60 | 207 | |
| 5-14 | 64 | 17 | |
| 15-24 | 0 | 80 | |
| 25-34 | 0 | 205 | |
| 35-44 | 65 | 92 | |
| 45-54 | 212 | 118 | |
| 55-64 | 208 | 291 | |
| 65-74 | 671 | 577 | |
| 75+ | 975 | 2,335 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Upper Arm | Avulsion | |
| Shoulder | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Face | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
77YOF BIBEMS AFTER A FALL. PT. STATES SHE WAS PUTTING AWAY A BATHROOM SCALE WHEN SHE STEPPED BACKWARDS, LOST HER BALANCE AND FELL. ENDORSING CHEST AND RIB PAIN. DX: TRAUMATIC SUBDURAL HEMATOMA WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
70 YOM WAS AT *** AIRPORT AND TRIPPED OVER A LUGGAGE SCALE CAUSING HIM TO FALL. HE WAS ABLE TO BOARD THE PLANE AND CAME STRAIGHT TO ED, C/O SHOULDER, HEAD, AND NECK PAIN DX: CERVICAL STRAIN, HEAD CONTUSION, HEMATOMA, DDD
73YOF TRIPPED OVER A SCALE AND WENT FORWARD, HITTING HER HEAD ON A DOOR FRAME. COMPLAINS OF RIGHT WRIST AND KNEE PAIN. THINKS SHE WAS KNOCKED OUT AFTER SHE HIT HER HEAD. DOES REMEMBER THE FALL. STAFF AT THE VET THOUGHT SHE WAS UNCONSCIOUS FOR 10 SECONDS OR LESS. DX: HEAD INJURY, CONTUSION RIGHT KNEE, RIGHT WRIST PAIN, HISTORY OF FALLING
94YOF PATIENT WAS GETTING OFF THE SCALE AT HER NEUROLOGY APPOINTMENT TODAY WHEN SHE FELL, STRIKING HER LEFT SHIN ON HER WALKER. LARGE HEMATOMA ON LEFT SHIN. DX: FALL
11YOM DROPPED A GLASS SCALE ONTO LT FOOT. DX: LAC FOOT
82YOF PRESENTS WITH NECK AND BACK PAIN AFTER A FALL AT HOME WHEN SHE TRIPPED OVER HER BATHROOM SCALE DX: GROUND LEVEL FALL, CERVICAL SPINE FRACTURE, THORACIC SPINE FRACTURE
84 YOF TRIPPED WHILE GOING OVER A WHEELCHAIR SCALE AT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AND HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF HER HEAD. DX: TRAUMATIC INJURY OF HEAD
61YOF WAS GETTING ONTO A SCALE AT THE DIALYSIS CENTER AND FELL OFF LANDED ONTO BUTTOCKS DX: COMPRESSION FRACTURE AT LOWER BACK
85YOM WALKED IN TO ED COMPLAINING OF FALL TODAY BEFORE RECEIVING DIALYSIS. PT STATES HE WAS TURNING WHILE STANDING AND BEING WEIGHED. MISSED REACHING FOR WALKER AND FELL TO GROUND TO LEFT SIDE. PT DESCRIBES PAIN TO PELVIS AND UPER LEG. DX:FALL; CONTUSION OF LEFT HIP.
86YOF WAS IN THE BATHROOM WITH HER WALKER, LEANED OVER TO LOCK HER WALKER, HER HIP LOCKED UP AND SHE FELL FORWARD STRIKING HER HEAD, FELL TO THE SIDE AND HIT HER HEAD ON A WEIGHT SCALE. DX: SCALP LACERATION, FOREHEAD HEMATOMA
56 YOF FELL AND HIT HER HEAD ON A BATHROOM SCALE. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY, CONCUSSION
60YOM STS AT CANCER CENTER TRIPPED ON A SCALE & FELL, HIT L HIP AND L SIDE OF HEAD C/O HIP PAIN L ANKLE PAIN LOW BACK PAIN DX ANEMIA FRACTURE LATERAL MALLEOLUS CLOSED GLF HYPODENSE MASS OF LIVER LYMPHOMA PULMONARY NODULE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This morning when my niece was walking out of the bathroom I heard an explosion. When I went to go see what it was there was shattered glass everywhere. She said she was not even near the scale it just broke
I went to pick up the renpho smart scale to place it on the ground and it shattered. It was still in the air, nothing touched it, it was not dropped or banged. Glass sprayed into the air and across the room.
The scale was sitting in its location in the bathroom, close to, but not against, the wall. My wife tapped it with her foot -- and not hard -- as she walked toward the toilet, and the Beurer BG17 Body Analysis scale, which the company says is made out of safety glass, shattered into many pieces. Luckily, my wife had slippers on, or else it is possible she could have been injured by the shards of glass, many of which were sharp.
I was using a Renpho Smart Scale when just as I stepped on it, the scale exploded. I weigh 166 pounds and do not believe that was a contributing factor. The glass scale was in perfect condition when this occurred. I was barefoot at the time, but miraculously escaped any injury. I fear that an infant or pet could have been injured since the glass spread out at floor level.
A new bathroom scale I bought with a glass top, shattered in pieces after a few days use while it was being slid across the floor of the bathroom. The shattered pieces caused minor injury and where a serious hazard with glass minute shards all across the bathroom floor.
My glass "Weight Watchers Glass Scale Clear - Conair" spontaneously shattered. Thankfully no one was using it at the time nor in the same room as the glass shattered everywhere.
I have a Taylor electronic weight scale placed in my bathroom for 2 years. With unknown reasons the weight scale exploded leaving the floor with glasses. The weight scale is broken into pieces. The temperature was about 72F normal temperature. There was no one or anything around the scale when the incident happened.
I purchased a series 8 fitness scale. It exploded into a bunch of pieces.
Showing 8 of 21 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 309 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 887 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) increasing or decreasing?
Down 39% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales) injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 3,310 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales)?
Of all ER visits involving scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales), approximately 26.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (73.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with scales, electric/battery operated (exclud. baby scales)?
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 Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 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 75+ 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.