Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2010-2024, Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips ranks #622 of 838 by danger score (31/100) at ER-volume #702 of 838 (249/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #622
- danger rank of 838
- #702
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 31/100
- danger score
- 249/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 (31/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
31 Lower than most lower than 74% 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: 59/100
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) | 10 | 77th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 249 | 16th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -10% | 51st | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 257 | 96th | 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 3,736 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 4083. Segments sum to 3,736 - 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 Floors, Walls & Ceilings 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.
Floors, Walls & Ceilings danger scores
How this 31/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for surge suppressors or power strips - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 249 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 10.3% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-10%
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 15-year NEISS window from 2010 to 2024, injury counts for surge suppressors or power strips are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2018 (645 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2016 (40 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is electric shock to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 1,089 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by anoxia to the all parts body (295 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 871 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 10.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 257 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how surge suppressors or power strips 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 (2010–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 451 | 420 | |
| 5-14 | 111 | 175 | |
| 15-24 | 369 | 387 | |
| 25-34 | 186 | 288 | |
| 35-44 | 102 | 200 | |
| 45-54 | 130 | 349 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 87 | |
| 65-74 | 176 | 159 | |
| 75+ | 62 | 86 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Neck | Burn, Electrical | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Burn, Electrical | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Lower Arm | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
30YOM PRESENTS WITH RIGHT ARM TINGLING AFTER BEING SHOCKED' PLUGGING ELECTONICS INTO A POWER STIP. DENIES LOC OR BURN INJURY TO ARM. DX: INJURY ELECTRIC CURRENT NONFATAL
52 YOF C/O RIGHT FOOT PAIN AFTER TRIPPING OVER A SURGE PROTECTOR, DOES NOT TAKE BLOOD THINNERS, DX: FOOT CONTUSION
22YOM, GRABBED THE POWER STRIP THAT WAS PLUGGED TO THE WALL AND FELT ELECTRIC SHOCK THAT WENT FROM HIS HAND UP TO HIS RIGHT UPPER ARM DX: TRAUMATIC RHABDOMYOLYSIS
3 YOM FELL HIT NOSE ON SURGE PROTECTOR DX CONTUSION NOSE
66 YOF TRIPPED ON HER OXYGEN TUBING AND FELL STRIKING FACE ON A POWER STRIP. DX: FALL, FACIAL CONTUSION
35 YOF PRESENTS WITH INJURY TO LIP, STATES WENT TO PICK UP A POWER STRIP AND HIT HERSELF IN THE MOUTH. DX: LIP ABRASION
9 MOM C/O SMOKE INHALATION FROM AN EXPLOSION OF A SURGE PROTECTER WHEN IT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTING @ HOME THERE IS SOOT ON HIS FOREHEAD AND IN HIS NOSE DX SMOKE INHALATION FROM ACCIDENTAL HOUSE EXPLOSION. NO FIRE DEPT.
22YOM GOT SHOCKED WHILE PLUGGING A SURGE PROTECTOR INTO AN OUTLET. DX: RIGHT INDEX FINGER BURN.
24YOF UNPLUGGED CORD FROM POWER STRIP WHICH EVOKED SHOWER OF ELECTRICAL SPARKS DX SUPERFICIAL BURN (2ND/3RD DIGITS)
28 YOM AT HOME GETTING OUT OF BED FELL AND HIT HEAD ON POWER STRIP. DX: LAC OF SCALP
14 MOF FELL AT HOME HIT NOSE ON A SURGE PROTECTOR AT HOME. DX; ABRASION OF NOSE
16YOM PULLED THE CORD OUT OF AN ELECTRICAL STRIP AND EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL JOLT THROUGHOUT BODY. DX: ELECTROCUTION DX: LEFT ARM PAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Belkin surge protector caught fire
The product is a plug-in electrical power strip. While using this product, I received a shock from the equipment I plugged in to it. When I checked the plug polarity with a digital multimeter, I confirmed that the plug polarity is reversed. (According to US standards, only one certain prong of a plug is supposed to be used for the "grounded" conductor. This product's wiring and plug polarity is reversed, so that the "grounded" prong is crossed to the "non-grounded" wire, and vice-versa.)
I purchased a 3 outlet outdoor power strip from Amazon for an outdoor spa. A couple of weeks ago I started to notice that the pump would shut off by itself. I would just go and just turn the pump back on. Over the weekend it shut off and when I went out to turn it back on it wouldnt. I was thinking that the pump was shot. When I disconnected the plug from the spa to the power strip, I noticed that the outlet that had the spa plugged into was all melted and the power strip was very hot. I went to check the breaker box the breaker was not tripped. I noticed on the back of the power strip that this was manufactured in China and was never certified by an approved testing agency such as UL. Obviously I am not using this anymore but Im curious as how many of these are out there and also how many other products bought thru Amazon are not tested.
We had a (Supco SMC150, Type 2 SPD, 120/240V 60Hz Single Phase) installed on the fuse box of our air-conditioning system. During a heavy rain the SMC150 caught fire. The fire department was called, as well as the power company and the HVAC service.
I plugged a vacuum cleaner plug into the power tap. The power tap shorted, arced, smoked and the home circuit breaker tripped. I unplugged the power tap from the home outlet. I took a picture of the power tap. I disassembled the power tap. I noticed that the vacuum plug had contacted both power buses which caused the short. I inspected the power tap further and notice that the outlet next to the outlet that shorted today had shorted in the past. I also noticed that the device looks to have been designed so that in the middle of the power tap the distance between the two buses decreases. This would allow a plug to contact both buses and cause a short circuit. The breaker on the power tap did NOT trip. I am a retired Fire Department Battalion Chief with training in fire cause investigation and determination from among other training centers such as the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD.
Unreported fire of a relocatable power tap found in a business.
I unplugged the power strip. When I plugged it back in, there were sparks and burning. I immediately unplugged it. Part of the plug had melted, or "blown out".
On September 3, 2019, GE 6 Outlet Surge protector generated sparks and arched while being used by my daughter at her college dorm. My daughter was preparing for bed when this event occurred. The sparking was substantial and generated smoke. She was able to reach for the plug connected to her laptop to disconnect. In her attempt to do so, she was burnt by the arching sparks. She called me ([REDACTED]) to seek instruction as what to do next. We instructed her to remove the outlet surge protector from the wall. We then told her to contact her floor R.A. regarding the event to report what happened. She also had campus maintenance to examine the outlet to make sure there were no issues. It has since been determined there was nothing wrong with the outlet and was safe to use.
Showing 8 of 257 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to surge suppressors or power strips on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips: cross-group products nearest on danger score (31/100), estimated annual ER visits (249/yr), and hospitalization share (10.3%). 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 Floors, Walls & Ceilings
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, Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips ranks #622 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #702 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does surge suppressors or power strips rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, surge suppressors or power strips ranks #622 by PlainSafety danger score (31/100) and #702 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (249/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from surge suppressors or power strips?
The most common injury is electric shock to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 1,089 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from surge suppressors or power strips increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for surge suppressors or power strips injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 871 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by surge suppressors or power strips?
Of all ER visits involving surge suppressors or power strips, approximately 10.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (89.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with surge suppressors or power strips?
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.