CPSC NEISS · code 234

Toasters

Toasters: danger rank #482 of 838 is not ER-volume rank #583 of 838 (609 estimated ER visits a year; rising by about 20% over the last five years).

Kitchen Cooking Appliances CPSC NEISS through 2024

Danger score versus ER volume

Danger score versus ER volume

According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Toasters ranks #482 of 838 by danger score (34/100) at ER-volume #583 of 838 (609/yr). They are not the same ranking.

#482
danger rank of 838
#583
ER-volume rank of 838
34/100
danger score
609/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 (34/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories

34 Lower than most lower than 57% 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: 60/100

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.

D
Dimension Value National percentile Weight applied Source
Injury severity (hospitalization + fatality blend) 7 61st 35% CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index
Annual ER injury volume 609 27th 30% CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries
5-year injury trend +20% 81st 15% CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries
Consumer incident reports 152 89th 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 12,174 estimated ER injuries land on the body

Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 234. Segments sum to 12,174 - 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 Kitchen Cooking Appliances 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.

Kitchen Cooking Appliances danger scores

1. Refrigerators43/1002. Ranges Or Ovens, Not Spec…42/1003. Gas Ranges Or Ovens41/1004. Microwave Ovens40/1005. Other Ranges Or Ovens39/1006. Electric Knife Sharpeners39/1007. Dishwashers39/1008. Toasters34/100
Higher score = higher composite danger in this group. Peer set is other scored products sharing the same CPSC group.
0/100100/10034/100
PlainSafety danger score · Toasters

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 34/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toasters - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume 609 ER visits/yr Below median volume
  • Severity (hospitalization rate) 7.4% Above median admission rate
  • Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
  • 5-year trend+20%

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 toasters are rising by about 20% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2013 (1,036 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2017 (262 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 4,330 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the hand (1,310 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,199 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 7.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 152 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how toasters 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)

2004006008001K1K 20052008201120142017202020232024 668
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Toasters, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 1,593 606 2,199
5-14 297 578 875
15-24 544 664 1,208
25-34 426 1,385 1,811
35-44 264 1,550 1,814
45-54 208 468 676
55-64 483 794 1,277
65-74 431 702 1,133
75+ 536 643 1,179

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Finger Laceration 4,330
Hand Burns, Thermal 1,310
Finger Burns, Thermal 1,166
All Parts Body Anoxia 665
All Parts Body Electric Shock 509
Head Internal Injury 494
Lower Arm Burns, Thermal 394
Foot Contusions, Abr. 269
All Parts Body Poisoning 243
Head Contusions, Abr. 231
Finger Contusions, Abr. 200
Finger Other 175
Upper Arm Fracture 144
Face Burns, Thermal 140
Hand Laceration 124

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 90.6% (11,035)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 5.6% (681)
Treated And Transferred 2.3% (280)
Left Without Being Seen 1.3% (162)
Held For Observation 0.1% (16)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 78 · Male · All Parts Body · Poisoning · 2024

78 YOM WITH A FINGER LAC FROAM ATOASTER WHILE MAKING TOAST BLEEDING ON *** DX:LAC

Age 91 · Female · Finger · Burns, Thermal · 2024

91 YOF BURN FINGER GETTING TOAST OUT OF TOASTER DX: BURN

Age 41 · Female · Finger · Laceration · 2024

41YOF WAS PUTTING A TOASTER INTO HER CABINET WHEN SHE CUT HER RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER DX: LAC FINGER

Age 46 · Female · All Parts Body · Electric Shock · 2024

46YOF PRESENTS AS A TRAUMA ALERT AFTER SHE ELECTROCUTED HERSELF WHEN SHE PUTS HER FINGERS IN A TOASTER WHEN SHE TRIED TO GET HER TOAST OUT DX: BIZARRE BEHAVIOR

Age 38 · Male · Finger · Laceration · 2024

38YOM PATIENT WAS DISPOSING OF A TOASTER WHEN THE METAL EDGE OF THE TOASTER CUT HIS FINGER, HE HAD MODERATE BLEEDING, DX: FINGER LACERATION

Age 25 · Female · Face · Fracture · 2024

25YOF PATIENT WAS LIFTING A TOASTER, IT FELL BACK AND HIT HER IN THE NOSE. DX: NASAL FRACTURE

Age 33 · Female · Finger · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

33YOF BIBEMS FOR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AT GROUP HOME (IRI). AS PER TRIAGE NOTE, PT COULD NOT GO OUTSIDE FOR A CIGARETTE AND BROKE THE KEY PANEL, A TOASTER, AMONG OTHER THINGS AT HER FACILITY. ABRASION OVER THE R RING FINGER DX: SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER

Age 92 · Male · Foot · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

92YOM C/O CONTUSION TO LEFT FOOT S/P PT STATES HE DROPPED A TOASTER ON HIS FOOT. DX: CONTUSION TO LEFT FOOT

Age 31 · Female · Hand · Burns, Thermal · 2024

31YOF REPORTS HER TOASTER CAUGHT FIRE AND SHE CARRIED IT OUTSIDE ?FIRE DEPT DX: HAND AND THUMB BURN

Age 32 · Male · Finger · Laceration · 2024

32YOM, ACCIDENTALLY CUT HIS FINGER WHILE GRABBING THE TOASTER, DX: CUT OF SKIN OF RIGHT THUMB

Age 63 · Female · Finger · Laceration · 2024

63YOF, ACCIDENTALLY CUT FINGER ON A SHARP METAL EDGE WHILE CLEANING THE TOASTER DX CALLING RESTRICTION OF RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY

Age 206 · Male · Finger · Laceration · 2024

6MOM REACHED OUT AND HAD CUT THE INSIDE OF HIS SMALL RIGHT DIGIT ON THE TOASTER DX: LACERATION OF FINGER

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/7/2025 · No Incident, No Injury · SENSIO INC · Maryland

Toaster caught on fire.

9/29/2025 · No Incident, No Injury · BREVILLE USA · California

The toaster housing melts during normal use. This poses a fire hazard. The problem worsened in just two weeks of use

9/29/2011 · Incident, No Injury · Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions · Michigan

Consumer stated that while using the toaster it burnt the toast and flames were emitting from it, he immediately blew out the flames from the toast. There was no damages. Consumer feels that if he had not been at home it would have caused a house fire. Consumer had not contacted the manufacturer as yet. Consumer feels that this toaster is a fire hazard and should be reported.

9/26/2011 · Incident, No Injury · Sears Holdings Management Corporation · Pennsylvania

Consumer stated that his spouse had noticed heat on the countertop but had dismissed it, he discovered the following morning that the toaster came on by itself because no one had use it but the elements were red hot. He unplugged it and then attempted to plug it in again it immediately came on without pushing the button on. Consumer unplugged it to prevent further damages. 9/24/11 Consumer contacted the retailer and was advised that the toaster had not been recalled so he should report it to the Agency. Consumer feels that this toaster is a fire hazard and should be reported.

9/24/2020 · Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received · Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. · California

I had used the toaster early in the morning (@7:30). About 6:00 PM, my husband and son were upstairs in our home. My son smelled something and went downstairs to check it out. He came down and found the toaster sparking and in flames. My husband was able to get it unplugged and threw several bowls of water on it, putting it out. My husband sustained mild 2nd degree burns from the cord melting and hitting his hand as he unplugged it from the wall.

9/22/2011 · Incident, No Injury · Sunbeam Products, Inc. d/b/a Jarden Consumer Solutions · California

toaster was on fire and the whole casing melted on kitchen counter while putting muffin to toast on4/25/11. I brought this to the product claim dept attention on 5/5/11, took me a while to get the dept who is responsible . they did not have good faith in accepting the claim and deny compensation to me. on 8/9/11, i refile the claim to them continue the issue was never address and ignored. this product if not watch out could set the place on fire and toaster was not suppose to be 'supervised' monitored while toasting items in there. if this product can't be used unattended, is not safe to be in the market. if you wish to see the full claim supporting documents, please let me know how to give you the full detail of my claim.

9/21/2014 · Unspecified · Groupe SEB USA · California

This toaster does not shut off and just turns the heat on as soon as you plug it in, without even turning it on/pushing the levers down. I noticed the coils heat up and turn red the second you plug it in. It also does not turn off when the levers pop up. This is a huge fire hazard!

9/15/2020 · Incident, No Injury · Smeg USA, Inc. · Illinois

My toaster started on fire and I was lucky enough to be in the room. My kitchen could have caught fire.

Showing 8 of 152 reports.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to toasters on the CPSC website.

Compare beyond Kitchen Cooking Appliances

Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization

Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Toasters: cross-group products nearest on danger score (34/100), estimated annual ER visits (609/yr), and hospitalization share (7.4%). Same-group neighbours stay in Related Products above.

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, Toasters ranks #482 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #583 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does toasters rank on danger score versus ER volume?

Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, toasters ranks #482 by PlainSafety danger score (34/100) and #583 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (609/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.

What are the most common injuries from toasters?

The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 4,330 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from toasters increasing or decreasing?

Up 20% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for toasters injuries?

The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,199 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by toasters?

Of all ER visits involving toasters, approximately 7.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (92.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with toasters?

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.

Data on Toasters is compiled directly from CPSC NEISS and SaferProducts.gov records, current through 2024. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.

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.