33
CPSC NEISS Data 2005–2024

See-saws Or Teeter Boards

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.

Sports & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1243

Down 27% over 5 years

The verdict

See-saws Or Teeter Boards carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 3,801 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 27% over the last five years.

33/100
danger score (low risk)
3,801
ER visits per year (avg)
3.8%
end in hospital admission
5-14
most-injured age group

Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1243 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10033/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 33/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for see-saws or teeter boards - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume3,801 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)3.8%
  • Fatality rate0.00%
  • 5-year trend-27%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

See-saws Or Teeter Boards (CPSC product code 1243, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 3,801 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 76,028 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 33/100 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 2007 (5,831 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (1,360 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for see-saws or teeter boards is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 10,419 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the mouth (4,321 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 48,492 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 3.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 13 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how see-saws or teeter boards 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.

3,801
Injuries / Year
3.8%
Hospitalization Rate
0.00%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

1K2K3K4K5K6K7K 20052008201120142017202020232024 3K
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for See-saws Or Teeter Boards, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 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 11,134 8,052 19,186
5-14 23,248 25,244 48,492
15-24 1,405 2,538 3,943
25-34 550 1,389 1,939
35-44 174 1,003 1,177
45-54 115 529 644
55-64 219 240 459
65-74 33 48 81
75+ 0 109 109

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Face Laceration 10,419
Mouth Laceration 4,321
Lower Arm Fracture 4,304
Head Internal Injury 4,185
Head Laceration 2,911
Face Contusions, Abr. 2,766
Elbow Fracture 2,414
Wrist Fracture 2,387
Ankle Strain, Sprain 2,255
Upper Arm Fracture 1,846
Foot Contusions, Abr. 1,557
Lower Trunk Contusions, Abr. 1,516
Wrist Strain, Sprain 1,513
Head Concussion 1,484
Upper Trunk Contusions, Abr. 1,407

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 95.5% (72,610)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 2.7% (2,035)
Left Without Being Seen 0.9% (699)
Treated And Transferred 0.9% (671)
Held For Observation 0.0% (36)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 223 · Female · Elbow · Dislocation · 2024

23MOF BROUGHT TO THE ER WITH AN ELBOW INJURY. SHE WAS AT DAY CARE AND ANOTHER CHILD TRIED TO PULL HER OFF THE TEETER-TOOTER BY PULLLING HER RIGHT ARM. THERE WAS NO FALL OR DIRECT BLOW TO HER ARM BUT SHE HASN'T WANTED TO USE HER RIGHT ARM SINCE. DX: SUBLUXATION RADIAL HEAD RIGHT

Age 9 · Male · Ankle · Strain, Sprain · 2024

9YOM WITH RIGHT FOOT AND RIGHT ANKLE PAIN. STATES HE WAS AT SCHOOL TODAY AND WAS ON THE SEESAW AND WHEN COMING DOWN IT BENT HIS RIGHT FOOT BACKWARDS. DX: RIGHT ANKLE SPRAIN, FOOT PAIN

Age 2 · Male · Lower Leg · Fracture · 2024

2YOM WAS ON A TEETER TOTTER, GOT HIS ANKLE CAUGHT AS THE PATIENT WAS GOING DOWN ON THE TEETER TOTTER INJURING HIS LEFT LEG CAUSING A SMALL ABRASION TO HIS LEG. DX: CLOSED DISPLACED SPIRAL FRACTURE OF SHAFT OF LEFT TIBIA

Age 3 · Female · Pubic Region · Hematoma · 2024

3YOF WAS ON A SEESAW AND STRUCK HER VAGINA DX: HEMATOMA TO VAGINA

Age 6 · Female · Face · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

6YOF WAS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND HIT IN THE FACE WITH A SEESAW DX: CONTUSION FACE

Age 9 · Female · Ankle · Strain, Sprain · 2024

9YOF, COMPLAINS OF ANKLE PAIN AFTER GOT STRUCK TO FOOT BY SEESAW DURING RECESS, DX: SPRAIN OF RIGHT ANKLE

Age 14 · Female · Toe · Hematoma · 2024

14YOF GOT LEFT GREAT TOE SMASHED IN A SEESAW AT THE PARK DX: SUBUNGAL HEMATOMA TO LEFT GREAT TOE

Age 13 · Female · Pubic Region · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

13YOF, PLAYING WITH A FRIEND ON SEESAW WAS LAUNCHED UP IN THE AIR AND UPON LANDING STRADDLED A METAL PART OF THE EQUIPMENT DX: CONTUSION OF LABIA MAJORA; ABRASION OF LABIA

Age 5 · Male · Mouth · Dental Injury · 2024

5 YOM C/O DENTAL INJURY S/P FALL OFF A WOODEN SEESAW AT PLAYGROUND. DX: DENTAL INJURY

Age 5 · Male · Upper Arm · Fracture · 2024

5YOM FELL OFF A SEE SAW. DX: HUMERUS FX

Age 11 · Female · Head · Internal Injury · 2024

11 YOF PRESENTS WITH HEAD INJURY S/P FELL AGAINST A SEE-SAW. DX: HEAD INJURY

Age 10 · Male · Lower Leg · Strain, Sprain · 2024

10YOM WAS PLAYING AT RECESS AND WAS HIT IN THE LEG BY A SEE-SAW DX: STRAIN OF LEFT LOWER LEG *

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/29/2018 · Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received · IMPEX, Inc · New York

My 11 year old daughter was playing with her friends on the Gym Dandy Spinning Teeter Totter ( TT-360 Seesaw Play Set) and as they were spinning and see sawing, her foot got stuck under the raised base, and her body kept going. She endured severe ankle and knee injuries and a Femur fracture.

9/24/2013 · Incident, No Injury · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · Kentucky

Flexible Flyer swing set Fantastic Playground model 42126 was purchased at Paducah Ky Walmart store#0431 on September 14, 2013. We assembled the swing set the afternoon of the 14th and the first use was Sunday September the 15th. After it's first use, both see saw seats broke, both bolts that hold the seats broke through the seat. Today is September 24th and I decided to email the company to see about getting replacement seats and seen where there was a recall. When was this recall and if before September 14th, why did Walmart sell me this product?

9/15/2013 · Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · Arkansas

My daughters ages 11, and 6 were using the see saw on their Windsor ii flexible flyer swing set when the see saw seat broke away from its bolts and toppled my eldest daughter to the ground.

8/29/2012 · Incident, No Injury · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · South Carolina

A swing set was purchased for our grandson for his third birthday from Wal Mart. His birthday was [REDACTED] of this year. The swing set. the Troxel Flexible Flyer, model Triple Fun !!, # 42560, was placed on a level place in our yard. It was used only by small children. Our grandson, who weighed between 32 and 34 pounds at the time, was using the see saw when the seat snapped off, landing him on the ground. Fortunately he was not injured but he was shook up and upset. The incident was several months ago, about a month after the set was first used, in April. I am just discovering where to report the incident.

8/13/2012 · Incident, No Injury · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · Kentucky

Teeter totter broke with handle in my babies hand on first lift. She fell flat faced into the ground missing the cross bar by less than 1/2 inch. She was not seriously hurt, but could have knocked out teeth and bashed face. This was brand new never been used birthday gift for a 2 year old 30 lb baby. Just picked up from Walmart on sat August 11 and assembled, she tried it out Sunday when it broke. The ladder from the slide also should be looked into,because the steps are so weak they bend under her weight. As this was a birthday gift the whole incident was video taped.

7/26/2017 · Incident, No Injury · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · California

Purchased Flexableflyer swing set model # WM42033-061013 from Wal Mart , [REDACTED], on 12-14-2013. Was not told that this model number was on a recall for the see-saw seat at the time. This unit should not have been sold by Wal Mart at that time without the problem corrected. Called recall phone number/ service number at Troxel corp. for this recall and was told recall was from 2012 through 2013 for this swing set/ see-saw. Why then is this not covered anymore? July 17, 2017 my 3 yr old granddaughter attempted to use this see-saw with her 2 yr old brother and the handle broke on her side and she fell off, almost catching her fingers in the crack opening that would have pinched and cut her fingers badly. At that moment took them off of the see-saw and removed the plastic seat. Went on-line to the Flexableflyer web site and noticed the recall on this set.

7/23/2012 · Incident, No Injury · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · Ohio

We purchased the Triple Fun ll #42560 Swing set from walmart in May of 2012 for our daughters 2nd birthday. Without much use at all the seat from the see saw snapped off then then shortly after that where the see saw attaches to the frame that also came off. There was actually very little use of the see saw before it all together broke.

7/19/2012 · Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received · TROXEL COMPANY (Flexible Company) · New York

The consumer stated that she purchased a swing set and it was was only up for 3 months. The consumer stated that her 2 years old grandson was playing on the see saw and the sit broke. She stated that her grandson got bruises and scrapes on his legs and arms. The consumer stated that he was not taking to the hospital. The consumer stated that they have not use the swing set since the incident because they are afraid anything else would brake and hurt her grandson. The consumer stated that she contacted manufacturer and they informed her that they were not aware of any incidents with the swing set. The consumer stated that the representative informed her that she could take it back to the retailer for a refund. The consumer stated that the representative she spoke with was [REDACTED]. The consumer stated that she will be contacting the retailer because she does not want the swing set at all. The consumer stated that she was aware of the recall Release #12-220. The consumer believes that after the incident she would not place her grandson back on the swing set, because of fear. She stated the incident could have been worse.

Showing 8 of 13 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to see-saws or teeter boards on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are see-saws or teeter boards?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, see-saws or teeter boards have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 3,801 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from see-saws or teeter boards?

The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 10,419 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from see-saws or teeter boards increasing or decreasing?

Down 27% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for see-saws or teeter boards injuries?

The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 48,492 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by see-saws or teeter boards?

Of all ER visits involving see-saws or teeter boards, approximately 3.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with see-saws or teeter boards?

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.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 33/100 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 5-14 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.