Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Toolboxes Or Tool Kits ranks #419 of 838 by danger score (35/100) at ER-volume #245 of 838 (7,512/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #419
- danger rank of 838
- #245
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 35/100
- danger score
- 7,512/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 (35/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
35 Lower than most lower than 50% 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: 41/100
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) | 3 | 29th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 7,512 | 66th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -20% | 35th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 3 | 28th | 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 150,245 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 835. Segments sum to 150,245 - 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 Communication & Entertainment 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 Communication & Entertainment danger scores
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toolboxes or tool kits - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 7,512 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 3.5% Below 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 toolboxes or tool kits are declining by about 20% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2010 (8,732 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (5,597 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 12,926 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the lower trunk (10,026 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 29,750 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 3.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how toolboxes or tool kits 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 | 4,771 | 1,801 | |
| 5-14 | 5,405 | 1,809 | |
| 15-24 | 12,979 | 4,842 | |
| 25-34 | 21,730 | 8,020 | |
| 35-44 | 21,738 | 6,759 | |
| 45-54 | 17,653 | 5,370 | |
| 55-64 | 12,990 | 4,789 | |
| 65-74 | 7,919 | 3,469 | |
| 75+ | 5,381 | 2,805 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
14YOM C/O ANKLE PAIN, DUE TO DROPPING A TOOLBOX ON HIS LEFT ANKLE AND HEEL AREA. DX: LACERATION TO THE LEFT HEEL, CONTUSION LEFT FOOT
27YOM STS WALKING OUTSIDE TRIPPED & FELL DOWN HIT CHEST ON TOOLBOX DX RIB FRACTURE
21MOM HERE FOR HEAD INJURY. HE HIT HIS HEAD ON A METAL TOOLBOX. BRUISING AND HEMATOMA TO THE FOREHEAD. DX: CONTUSION TO FORHEAD, HEMATOMA TO FOREHEAD, HEAD INJURY
24YOM WAS LIFTING A TOOLBOX INTO HIS TRUCK WHEN HE FELT HIS BACK POP RESULTING IN BACK PAIN. DX: THORACOLUMBAR BACK PAIN;
68YOM PT STATES WORKING ON A TOOL BOX AND CUT RIGHT THUMB. DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT THUMB.
44 YOM WAS PICKING UP HIS TOOL BOX WHILE HE WAS IN THE BACK OF HIS TRUCK AND HE FELL, C/O LEFT HIP, KNEE AND RIB PAIN. DX: GROIN STRAIN, RIB CONTUSION, FALL
52YOM PATIENT WAS THE RESTRAINED PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT OF A MINIVAN TRAVELING ROUGHLY 70 MILES AN HOUR ON THE INTERSTATE WHICH DROVE OVER A TOOLBOX, MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH DX: STRAIN OF THORACIC BACK REGION
53YOF PATIENT WAS THE RESTRAINED PASSENGER IN A VEHICLE THAT RAN OVER A TOOL BOX ON THE INTERSTATE, SHOULDER PAIN, AND UPPER BACK PAIN DX: SPRAIN OF LEFT SHOULDER, MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
83YOF PATIENT WAS THE RESTRAINED PASSENGER OF A VEHLCE THAT WAS TRAVELING ROUGHLY 70 MILES PER HOUR THAT RAN OVER A TOOL BOX ON THE INTERSTATE, MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH DX: MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, ACUTE LEFT HIP PAIN
23YOM WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING IN HIS TOOL BOX, TRIPPED AND FELL, FELT PAIN TO FINGERS, LIKE FB IN HAND, DX FB TO HAND
56YOM HAD A MECHANICAL FALL OFF OF A PICKUP TRUCK TODAY LANDING ONTO A METAL TOOLBOX THEN HITTING THE GROUND DX: CONTUSION OF CHEST WALL; THORACIC COMPRESSION FRACTURE
64YOF PT C/O SHOULDER PAIN AFTER LIFTING A HEAVY TOOL BOX LAST WEEK, ABOUT 60 LBS, PUTTING IT INTO BROTHER'S TRUCK. PAIN WORSE BY SHOVELING SNOW DX: CALCIFIC TENDINITIS LEFT SHOULDER, LEFT SHOULDER STRAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I have the Lowes Kobalt tool chest with the attached tool box on top, there big stainless steel one. its a safety hazard as when the Bottom drawer is full of heavy items and open half way to fully open, and you open any other drawer it will tip over on you. its vary top heavy and mine just tipped over smashing me between my car and tool box. causing bodily injury and property damage. the tool box is heavy even empty.
using the right side door my finger was lacerated while pulling it back out. The flange is VERY sharp.
Caller is reporting that the open toolbox latch caused laceration to her right lower leg when she stepped back, there was profuse bleeding because she is in blood thinners, and a vein was knicked. She was seen at urgent care and received stitches, however, the next day she noticed the wound was infected, and she went to her PCP. It wasn't until later that the PCP decided to put her on antibiotics. She stated that the latches are razor sharp which are extremely unsafe. She stated that she purchased the toolbox approximately 15 years ago this was the first incident. Caller stated that the manufacturer was not contacted as yet. Caller feels that this product is a safety hazard and should be reported. Report update 12/12/22: I contacted Craftsman after making this report, and Craftsman took a report. Pictures of tool box are attached to this email. Update: As of 12-2-22, when I last saw my PCP, I was still fighting infection and swelling. My PCP stated the laceration may be abscessed, and told me to keep an eye on the injury for the next two weeks. [REDACTED]
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to toolboxes or tool kits on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Communication & Entertainment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Toolboxes Or Tool Kits: cross-group products nearest on danger score (35/100), estimated annual ER visits (7,512/yr), and hospitalization share (3.5%). 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.
Similar hospitalization rate
Nearest cross-group products by % of NEISS ER visits resulting in hospital admission.
Related Products in Home Communication & Entertainment
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, Toolboxes Or Tool Kits ranks #419 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #245 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does toolboxes or tool kits rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, toolboxes or tool kits ranks #419 by PlainSafety danger score (35/100) and #245 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (7,512/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from toolboxes or tool kits?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 12,926 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from toolboxes or tool kits increasing or decreasing?
Down 20% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for toolboxes or tool kits injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 29,750 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by toolboxes or tool kits?
Of all ER visits involving toolboxes or tool kits, approximately 3.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with toolboxes or tool kits?
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.