Tape Recorders Or Players (self-contained Units)
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 Structures & Construction Materials · CPSC Code 556
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Tape Recorders Or Players (self-contained Units) carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,342 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 33/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,342
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 556 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for tape recorders or players (self-contained units) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,342 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+7%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Tape Recorders Or Players (self-contained Units) (CPSC product code 556, in the Home Structures & Construction Materials category) generate an estimated 1,342 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 17,446 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 roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2010 (3,647 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2018 (5 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for tape recorders or players (self-contained units) is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 1,482 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the head (1,283 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 5,765 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 5.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1 consumer incident report filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how tape recorders or players (self-contained units) 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 | 3,305 | 2,460 | |
| 5-14 | 1,845 | 1,348 | |
| 15-24 | 1,236 | 1,054 | |
| 25-34 | 893 | 809 | |
| 35-44 | 755 | 674 | |
| 45-54 | 470 | 717 | |
| 55-64 | 317 | 817 | |
| 65-74 | 96 | 260 | |
| 75+ | 199 | 189 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
89YOF HAD A TRIP AND FALL AT HOME OVER AN ELECTRIC TAPE RECORDER AND FELL STRIKING HER LEFT HIP DX: FRACTURED LEFT HIP
55 YOM. ANKLE PAIN AFTER BIG OLD RECORDER PLAYER FELL ON HIS LT ANKLE.SWELLING. DX: ANKLE PAIN
3 YR OLD FEMALE HITHEAD ON VCR PLAYER AT HOME LAC FOREHEAD
9YOF PLAYING IN LIVING ROOM, DVD PLAYER FELL & HIT FACE DX; CONTUS FACE
40 YR OLD MALE WITH EAR BUD LODGED IN EAR CANAL
63 YR OLDMALE HAS EARBUD OF HEAD PHONE STUCK IN EAR CANAL
2YOF-CLAVICLE FX-DVD PLAYER FELL ON PT'S SHOULDER-@ HOME
17YOF-CHI-HIT A BUMP WHILE DRIVING A CAR-HIT HEAD ON DVD PLAYER
8YOM FELL, LHIT BACK OF HEAD ON DVD PLAYER/ SCALP LAC
43 YO F PT STUBBED HER RT GREAT TOE ON THE VCR, SWELLING AND PAINFUL.8/10 PAINFUL. DX CONTUSION RT GREAT TOE
27 YOM CONTUSION TO LEFT EYEBALL S/P HIT TO SITE WITH A DVD CASE$
6 YOF CONTUSION TO NOSE S/P A VCR FELL & HIT HER ON THE NOSE.*
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Dear step by way of informing through this email an incident occurred with mighty Lola black device from the manufacturer mighty audio inc in the month of March. Buy the device through Amazon. I wanted to comment on what happened. In the month of March the product had an apparent short circuit and an explosion in my daughter's room that was currently sleeping. At night we felt a loud noise and when entering his room was full of smoke and a very strong smell that did not allow breathing and produced a really burning sight, my 13 year old daughter was seriously intoxicated. The device was charging correctly plugged in with the cable provided by the manufacturer. Report the matter immediately to the company mighty audio inc. Its CEO [REDACTED] took action on the matter. At first the response was cordial and they offered to change my product. I requested an adequate financial compensation for the incident, they increased their offer to 900 usd, which I accepted (although it seemed little to me since I could have lost my house or my children would have been seriously damaged in their health if I was not in that moment) at the time of payment they were only 343 usd and their CEO breached the agreement, threatening me with their legal team when the reality is that the victim was my family and I and at all times this tremendous incident has been minimized since the device does not count With thermal protection and I can really generate great damage. I have the device in my possession, along with all the corresponding exchange emails with its CEO. I would like them to comply with the agreement and to make the corresponding compensation and that you, as intermediaries and I make the purchase through Amazon, require the corresponding security guarantees, otherwise remove the product from your store until you comply with the security requirements
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to tape recorders or players (self-contained units) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are tape recorders or players (self-contained units)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, tape recorders or players (self-contained units) have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,342 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from tape recorders or players (self-contained units)?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 1,482 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from tape recorders or players (self-contained units) increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for tape recorders or players (self-contained units) injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 5,765 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by tape recorders or players (self-contained units)?
Of all ER visits involving tape recorders or players (self-contained units), approximately 5.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with tape recorders or players (self-contained units)?
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 Structures & Construction Materials
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 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.
