Tarpaulins
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 Medical & Assistance Devices · CPSC Code 1741
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Tarpaulins carry a danger score of 36/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,724 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 36/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,724
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 8.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1741 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for tarpaulins - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,724 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)8.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+5%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Tarpaulins (CPSC product code 1741, in the Home Medical & Assistance Devices category) generate an estimated 1,724 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 34,474 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 36/100 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 (2,532 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (708 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for tarpaulins is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 1,620 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (1,447 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 5,714 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 8.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 2 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how tarpaulins 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 | 586 | 277 | |
| 5-14 | 1,030 | 499 | |
| 15-24 | 1,628 | 946 | |
| 25-34 | 3,462 | 885 | |
| 35-44 | 3,701 | 1,557 | |
| 45-54 | 3,727 | 1,987 | |
| 55-64 | 3,640 | 1,857 | |
| 65-74 | 3,011 | 2,286 | |
| 75+ | 1,293 | 2,096 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
13YOF C/O FALL, SHE HAS RIGHT ANKLE PAIN, SHE SLIPPED AND FELL ON A WET TARP AND FELT A POP. DX;SPRAIN OF ANKLE.
54 YOF WAS SETTING UP A TARP, WIND BLEW HARD AND TARP CUT HER HEAD. DX: SCALP LAC
52 YOF CUT FINGER ON SHED PUTTING AWAY A TARP DX: LAC
63YOM PRESENTS FOR EVALUATION OF RIGHT FLANK PAIN WHICH STARTED 5 DAYS AGO WITH ASSOCIATED ABDOMINAL TENDERNESS AFTER HE BALANCED HIMSELF ON TOP OF A TARP ON TOP OF A WOOD PILE. DX: ABDOMINAL PAIN.
47YOM WAS WALKING UNDER A TARP AND HIT HIS HEAD ON SOMETHING. DX: UNSP HEAD INJURY, FACIAL LACERATION
77YOF AT A CAMP SITE, TRIPPED OVER A TARP AND FELL, HITTING FACE ON A LOG. DX: NASAL FX
67YOM WAS PULLING A TARP WHEN SOMETHING STRUCK HIM IN LEFT EYE DX:CORNEAL ABRASION
37YOF REPORTS BEING ON THE REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR ON THE HIGHWAY AS THEY WERE TRYING TO AVOID A TARP THAT HAD FALLEN ON THE HIGHWAY. STATES AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND SHE HIT HER FACE ON THE AIRBAG. COMPLAINS OF NECK PAIN, LOWER BACK PAIN. DX MVA, ADMIT
53 YOM SLIPPED ON A TARP AND FELL BACKWARDS OFF OF A ONE-STORY ROOF. HE LANDED ON A WALL, CONTACTING HIS MID BACK AND THEN FLIPPED AROUND THE WALL AND FELL FURTHER, LANDING ON HIS STOMACH ON A BRICK SLAB. REPORTS MULTIPLE EPISODES OF HEMATEMESIS, ABDOMINAL PAIN, LOW BACK PAIN, RIGHT KNEE PAIN. DX: FALL
75YOF, C/O FALL, TRIPPED OVER A TARP ON FLOOR, HIT LEFT KNEE & RIGHT SIDE OF MOUTH, HEADACHE DX: FALL, FACIAL CONTUSION ,LEFT KNEE CONTUSION
63YOF PRESENTS WITH CHEST AND RIGHT KNEE PAIN AFTER FALLING ~8 FEET FROM HER MOBILE HOME WHILE TRYING TO PLACE TARP ON HER ROOF SHE SLIPPED AND FELL FORWARD ONTO HER CHEST DX: FALL, STERNAL FRACTURE, FRACTURE OF THORACIC SPINE
13YOM WAS WALKING BACKWARDS AND TRIPPED AND FELL ON A TARP THAT WAS ON THE GROUND TWISTING LEFT KNEE DX: DISLOCATION LEFT KNEE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
In the twilight, I tripped over some strands of poly from a woven poly tarp. The tarp had torn and, as it was flapping in the wind, the torn edge unraveled into many long and narrow strands of poly which dangled everywhere. Woven Poly tarps, shred / tear leaving many narrow strips of very strong film. These strips cannot be easily torn and are a serious hazard to safety of human and animals. When used around the water, the strips can ensnare a swimmer and a single strip can restrain a person to the point of drowning. In land-side applications, they can strangle / snare small animals and pets as well as cause falls as persons may trip over them. The manufacturers of these woven poly tarps should be required to heat bond / fuse the strands so that the tarps will not fray and generate these life threatening strands. I can forward a photo of the condition if you be so kind as to provide and email address to which a message can be sent with the photo as an attachment.
Received a complaint that an outdoor patio was enclosed in tarps and was using patio heaters. While researching the manufacture of the tarps being used, I found a product that claims to be flame-retardant and meets the standards of NFPA 201. NFPA 201 is not a standard I'm aware of... This occupancy did not purchase the "flame-retardant," and they are being removed; however, I almost sent them this other product as an example of what could be used.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to tarpaulins on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are tarpaulins?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, tarpaulins have a danger score of 36/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,724 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from tarpaulins?
The most common injury is strain, sprain to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 1,620 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from tarpaulins increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for tarpaulins injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 5,714 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by tarpaulins?
Of all ER visits involving tarpaulins, approximately 8.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (91.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with tarpaulins?
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 Medical & Assistance Devices
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 36/100 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 45-54 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.
