Toasters
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.
Kitchen Cooking Appliances · CPSC Code 234
Up 20% over 5 years
The verdict
Toasters carry a danger score of 34/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 609 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 20% over the last five years.
- 34/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 609
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 7.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 234 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toasters - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume609 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)7.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+20%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Toasters (CPSC product code 234, in the Kitchen Cooking Appliances category) generate an estimated 609 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 12,176 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 34/100 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 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 for toasters 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)
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 | 1,593 | 606 | |
| 5-14 | 297 | 578 | |
| 15-24 | 544 | 664 | |
| 25-34 | 426 | 1,385 | |
| 35-44 | 264 | 1,550 | |
| 45-54 | 208 | 468 | |
| 55-64 | 483 | 794 | |
| 65-74 | 431 | 702 | |
| 75+ | 536 | 643 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Other | |
| Upper Arm | Fracture | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
78 YOM WITH A FINGER LAC FROAM ATOASTER WHILE MAKING TOAST BLEEDING ON *** DX:LAC
91 YOF BURN FINGER GETTING TOAST OUT OF TOASTER DX: BURN
41YOF WAS PUTTING A TOASTER INTO HER CABINET WHEN SHE CUT HER RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER DX: LAC FINGER
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
38YOM PATIENT WAS DISPOSING OF A TOASTER WHEN THE METAL EDGE OF THE TOASTER CUT HIS FINGER, HE HAD MODERATE BLEEDING, DX: FINGER LACERATION
25YOF PATIENT WAS LIFTING A TOASTER, IT FELL BACK AND HIT HER IN THE NOSE. DX: NASAL FRACTURE
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
92YOM C/O CONTUSION TO LEFT FOOT S/P PT STATES HE DROPPED A TOASTER ON HIS FOOT. DX: CONTUSION TO LEFT FOOT
31YOF REPORTS HER TOASTER CAUGHT FIRE AND SHE CARRIED IT OUTSIDE ?FIRE DEPT DX: HAND AND THUMB BURN
32YOM, ACCIDENTALLY CUT HIS FINGER WHILE GRABBING THE TOASTER, DX: CUT OF SKIN OF RIGHT THUMB
63YOF, ACCIDENTALLY CUT FINGER ON A SHARP METAL EDGE WHILE CLEANING THE TOASTER DX CALLING RESTRICTION OF RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER WITHOUT FOREIGN BODY
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.
Toaster caught on fire.
The toaster housing melts during normal use. This poses a fire hazard. The problem worsened in just two weeks of use
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are toasters?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, toasters have a danger score of 34/100 (low risk). An estimated 609 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
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.
Related Products in Kitchen Cooking Appliances
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 34/100 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.
