Step Stools
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 Furnishings & Fixtures · CPSC Code 620
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Step Stools carry a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 16,334 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 42/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 16,334
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 10.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 620 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 42/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for step stools - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume16,334 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)10.6%
- Fatality rate0.02%
- 5-year trend-1%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Step Stools (CPSC product code 620, in the Home Furnishings & Fixtures category) generate an estimated 16,334 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 326,685 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 42/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (22,731 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (11,274 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for step stools is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 33,859 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the lower trunk (13,667 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 74,250 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 10.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.02%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 159 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how step stools 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 | 19,857 | 17,111 | |
| 5-14 | 6,285 | 7,704 | |
| 15-24 | 2,341 | 6,305 | |
| 25-34 | 5,442 | 14,052 | |
| 35-44 | 8,775 | 16,871 | |
| 45-54 | 9,383 | 28,314 | |
| 55-64 | 11,727 | 38,216 | |
| 65-74 | 14,062 | 45,987 | |
| 75+ | 17,312 | 56,938 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
79YOF PRESENTS TO ED S/P FALL WITH RT HIP PAIN. PT WAS ON SMALL STEPSOOL WHEN FORGOT SHE WAS ON IT ADN WENT TO STEP AND FELL ONTO RT HIP AND RT ELBOW. NO HEAD STRIKE OR LOC. IMMEDIATE PAIN IN RT HIP. DX: PAIN RT HIP FALL. CLOSED FX RT HIP. HYPONATREMIA CLOSED FX NECK RT FEMUR
87 YOF FELL OFF STEP STOOL PUTTING UP CURTAINS DX; MULTI RIB FX'S
82YOM WAS ATTEMPTING TO KNOCK SNOW OFF A SATELLITE WHILE STANDING ON A STEP STOOL, MISSED THE LAST STEP COMING DOWN AND FELL ONTO HIS LEFT SIDE RESULTING IN PAIN AND BRUISING TO HIS LEFT ELBOW, TAKES *** DX: PAIN IN LEFT ELBOW
69YOF FELL OFF OF A STEP STOOL LANDING ON LEFT SHOULDER DX: FRACTURED HUMEROUS
70YOF WAS STANDING ON A STEP STOOL AND FELL STRIKING HER BACK ON A WOODEN CHAIR DX RIB FRACTURES
78YOF WAS TAKING DOWN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS WHEN SHE FELL OFF STEP STOOL LANDING ONTO LEFT KNEE NOW KNEE SWOLLEN DX:EFFUSION TO KNEE
25YOM,HAND PAIN AFTER STEP STOOL AN SLIPPED AN FELL ON HAND,FINGER,DX:FX FINGER
69YOF PT FELL OFF STEP STOOL, LANDED ON RT HAND WITH NOTABLE SWELLING DX: FRACTURE RT WRIST
73 YOF WAS TRYING TO CHANGE A FILTER AT HOME ON A STEP STOOL. SHE ADDED A COUPLE OF BLOCKS WHICH SLID OFF CAUSING HER TO FALL AND HIT THE BACK OF HER HEAD. DX: SUBDURAL HEMATOMA, LUMBAR BACK PAIN WITH RADICULOPATHY, ACUTE NON INTRACTABLE HEADACHE
56YOM,LADDER ON STEPTOOL WHEN SLIPPED AN LOST BALANCE AN FELL BACKWARDS HIT HEAD,ANKLE,DX:CONT HEAD,STRAIN ANKLE
87YOF WITH FALL OFF STEP STOOL DX:FRACTURED ANKLE
3YOM WITH FALL OFF STEP STOOL AND HIT COUNTER DX: LAC TO CHIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I was using the step stool to reach the top shelf in my closet and the step stool broke into pieces. I fell into my back and my left leg hit the floor in a weird position. My left foot is scratched up, my right ankle is swollen and I hit my head on the wall. My son ran into the room and started crying.
The Target Step stool with storage that was recalled in August has been in my home for 3 years. Over the summer my daughter was using the step stool and was standing on the top when the step/door to storage shifted and the screws holding it in completely dislodged and broke off. My daughter was not seriously injured but did sustain quite a fall with a few bruises. I am glad to see this product has been recalled even if it is too late for us.
We have a Kikkerland ZZ09-BK step stool that recently cracked in two areas on the top, near the handle. This model appears to be nearly identical, other than color, to the ZZ09-GR stool included in Alert #10-720 "Kikkerland Design Recalls Foldable Step Stools Sold By QVC Due to Fall Hazard." Our stool was purchased approximately 24 to 36 months ago, from Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214.
Using step stool on top step easily rolls owner an fell bruised back. Ladders to to narrow at base rolls over. Plastic feet do not level as well, air space between feet and floor. Very dangerous design.
My three year old child was standing on this step stool (Playtex Transitions blue, date code 08/17-85) reaching for something when the base of the step stool split down the middle, causing my child to fall. Thankfully, he was not injured, but if he had fallen differently he could have been. I reported this to the manufacturer, who sent a replacement in a different product, as this was the second time that this product has broken while my child was using it. In report 20171102-1857E-2147396200 I described a previous time this happened. The broken product was shipped back to the manufacturer on 09/26/2018 for inspection.
Toddler fell (no serious injury) when platform gave way on The Learning Tower sold by Little Partners
Rubbermaid RM-LWS3 three step step stool has two full thickness cracks in plastic of top step. The product is rated for 225 pounds. No resident of the house has weighed 225 lbs during our ownership. The product is at risk of failing and causing serious injury. We have owned this product since sometime in 2012 or 2013 and use it very infrequently.
We have a Kennedy folding step stool 13" grey. Our neighbor who is about 250 pounds sat on it and the leg broke off. About 2 inches of the leg broke off, causing the stool to be imbalanced and knocking her off.
Showing 8 of 159 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to step stools on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are step stools?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, step stools have a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 16,334 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from step stools?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 33,859 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from step stools increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for step stools injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 74,250 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by step stools?
Of all ER visits involving step stools, approximately 10.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (89.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with step stools?
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 Furnishings & Fixtures
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 42/100 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.
