Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips
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 4083
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips carry a danger score of 31/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 249 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 31/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 249
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 10.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 4083 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
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 volume249 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)10.3%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-10%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Surge Suppressors Or Power Strips (CPSC product code 4083, in the Floors, Walls & Ceilings category) generate an estimated 249 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 3,734 ER-treated injuries across the 15-year span from 2010 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 31/100 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 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 for surge suppressors or power strips 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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are surge suppressors or power strips?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, surge suppressors or power strips have a danger score of 31/100 (low risk). An estimated 249 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
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.
Related Products in Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 31/100 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 0-4 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.
