Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Tarpaulins ranks #370 of 838 by danger score (36/100) at ER-volume #449 of 838 (1,724/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #370
- danger rank of 838
- #449
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 36/100
- danger score
- 1,724/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 (36/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
36 Around the middle lower than 44% 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: 52/100
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) | 8 | 66th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 1,724 | 44th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | +5% | 73rd | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 2 | 25th | 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 34,468 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1741. Segments sum to 34,468 - 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 Home Medical & Assistance Devices 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.
Home Medical & Assistance Devices danger scores
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for tarpaulins - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 1,724 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 8.2% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend+5%
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 20-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2024, injury counts for tarpaulins 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 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 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.
Compare beyond Home Medical & Assistance Devices
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Tarpaulins: cross-group products nearest on danger score (36/100), estimated annual ER visits (1,724/yr), and hospitalization share (8.2%). 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.
- Flotation Toys (excl Official Life-saving Devices) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 1,721/yr
- Convertible Beds, Hideaway Beds Or Sofa Beds Home Furnishings & Fixtures 1,733/yr
- Laundry Hampers Home Furnishings & Fixtures 1,740/yr
- Above-ground Swimming Pools (excl Portable Pools) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear 1,695/yr
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
Related Products in Home Medical & Assistance Devices
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, Tarpaulins ranks #370 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #449 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does tarpaulins rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, tarpaulins ranks #370 by PlainSafety danger score (36/100) and #449 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (1,724/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
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.
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.