Tools, Not Specified
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 Communication & Entertainment · CPSC Code 893
Up 25% over 5 years
The verdict
Tools, Not Specified carry a danger score of 44/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 27,922 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 25% over the last five years.
- 44/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 27,922
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 35-44
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 893 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 44/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for tools, not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume27,922 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.2%
- Fatality rate0.08%
- 5-year trend+25%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Tools, Not Specified (CPSC product code 893, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 27,922 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 558,432 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 44/100 for this category (moderate 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 25% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (43,325 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2006 (14,781 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for tools, not specified is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 47,903 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the eyeball (43,788 cases). The 35-44 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 107,785 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 6.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.08%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how tools, not specified 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 | 4,406 | 2,008 | |
| 5-14 | 13,638 | 4,057 | |
| 15-24 | 49,928 | 6,495 | |
| 25-34 | 78,526 | 11,431 | |
| 35-44 | 92,996 | 14,738 | |
| 45-54 | 85,247 | 14,963 | |
| 55-64 | 70,452 | 12,569 | |
| 65-74 | 50,513 | 9,792 | |
| 75+ | 28,793 | 7,809 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Foreign Body | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
24YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST PAIN AFTER SPENDING THREE HOURS CUTTING TREES TODAY DX: CHEST PAIN
51 YOM REPORTS HE DROPPED A BAG OF TOOLS ON HIS RIGHT HAND. DX: HAND CONTUSION AND ABRASION
10 YOM PRESENTS WITH L HAND LACERATION. PT WAS USING A MULTITOOL AT HOME LAST NIGHT AND IT SLIPPED AND CUT THE SKIN ON HIS L HAND. LACERATION REPAIR PERFORMED. DX: LACERATION L HAND.
43YOM WAS CUTTING WOOD AND GOT A PIECE OF WOOD INTO HIS EYES, WAS NOT WEARING EYE PROTECTION DX: EYE FOREIGN BODY AND RIGHT EYE CORNEAL ABRASION
59 YOM WAS CUTTING METAL AND GOT A PIECE IN EYE DX: FB
40YOM COMPLAINS OF LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN AFTER DOING SOME HEAVY LIFTING OF TOOLS. DX: ABDOMINAL WALL STRAIN
75 YOM WAS CUTTING TREE BRANCHES WHEN A BRANCH KNOCKED HIM OFF BALANCE AND HE FELL 10-15 FT FROM LADDER TO THE GROUND FLAT ON HIS BACK. DX: T12 FRACTURE.
33 YOM HIT L THUMB W/TOOL DX; THUMB HEMATOMA
26YOM WAS CUTTING A TREE WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY A TREE BRANCH CONTINUED ABDOMINAL PAIN AND HAS BEEN VOMITING BLOOD DX: CONTUSION TO LOWER ABDOMEN; UPPER GI BLEED; HEMATOPOIESIS
22YOM PT C/O LEFT EYE PAIN WHILE CUTTING CAST IRON DX: ACUTE FOREIGN BODY OF LEFT CORNEA
93YOM PATIENT STATES HE WAS CUTTING TREES WHEN HE STUMBLED OVER A ROCK AND FELL BACKWARDS LANDING ON HIS RIGHT SHOULDER, +HEADSTRIKE, +LOC. HE IS ON APIXIBAN. HE HAS AN AVULSION OF SKIN OVERLYING THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD. DX: HEMATOMA OF PARIETAL SCALP, GROUND-LEVEL FALL
66 YOM WAS CUTTING A CAST IRON PIPE WHEN HE FELT A FOREIGN BODY SENSATION IN HIS LEFT EYE. HE WAS NOT WEARING SAFETY GLASSES. DX FOREIGN BODY LEFT EYE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This caller is reporting that he purchased a 12,000 pound capacity electric winch that is designed to pull in and loop to the side but this unit doesn't perform as it should and the caller reported this issue from first use as well as reporting that the cable didn't line up well Caller was reeling in a 2,000 pound log Monday July 1st, 2019 with his wife assisting via a steel pole that sticks in the ground to guide but the log turned slightly, grabbed his wife by the lower area of her leg and pulled her down. This caller tried to turn the winch off but it would not turn off until he took the cable from the battery. If he had tightened the cable to the battery he states that she could have no longer been alive. He is reporting that this winch has no safety feature to prevent this incident His wife suffered bruises, slight lacerations and her knee was extremely sore making it very difficult to walk. She has not been seen by a physician. He sent an email to [REDACTED] and conversed [REDACTED] who sent him to the complaint department however he has left three messages but has not received one return call. [REDACTED]
On the evening on May 26th, 2018 I was using a Black and Decker Rotary tool to do some light sanding on a wood project. I was using the project for about 5 minutes when it suddenly burst into flames in my hand - There were jets of flames and sparks coming from the vents on the side of the tool. My right hand was severely burnt - second and third degree burns on my palm, thumb, and fingers. Also, as I threw the tool away haphazardly to get it away from me the tool turned and the tool caught the top side of my hand, getting caught momentarily inbetween my fingers and the rotating part of the tool cut very deeply into my knuckles. I contacted Black and Decker immediately via their website, and have yet to receive a response. I reach out two more times, once via their website and a second via their Chat feature. I have provided photos of my injuries as well as photos of the tool showing the burn marks clearly coming from inside the tool. This needs to be addressed as I clearly had a defective tool. Someone is going to get seriously injured or their house is going to burn down - The tool was LITERALLY shooting flames and sparks like a small jet engine. I am lucky that I am married to an Emergency room provider, and she was able to dress my injuries. I was unable to use my right hand for 3 days. As anyone knows, burns are very painful. I am extremely upset with Black and Deckers lack of response and interest into looking into this defective product.
Purchased a machine tool of sorts, specifically what is known as a silk screen mesh stretcher. The cost was roughly 400 dollars. The item was imported from abroad and sold on an online factory direct website. Upon delivery, the item and its packaging smelled odd and when left alone in residence, for lack of better terminology, "stunk up the entire place." The smell was very strong and very noxious and caused nausea. Left the package outside where the smell spread, causing a neighbor to complain. lt has been left outside for several weeks, and though the intensity of the stench has decreased, it is still very present. Feel this chemical stench could be a risk to human health.
I purchased a Amflo 201 Rubber tipped blow gun, From river bend hose company in south bend Indiana In June of 2015. When I went to use it the rubber tip blow off hitting me in the face. I contacted river bend hose , and they said they do not care ,all we are concerned about is making money and Not safety .
my name [REDACTED] Im body technician for 22 years so I know the diferents electronic measure sistems and I work on this shop for the last 7nd and they have this brand SHARK HEIN-WERNER THE OLD MODEL and SERIAL NUMBER 09601138 and the first time I had used I knew this product was unsafe dont have handle to move safety when is in use for the operator, dont show warning stickers for the drawers when is in use for operator , because this specific model the top drawer open to the right side and the other one on the bottom open to the left side "doing a circular motion when opening" the 3/27/2012 I was using this device 9 to 10 am I HAD TO MOVE MORE CLOSE TO GET WIRELESS SIGNAL TO SENT THE REPORT DAMAGE TO THE PRINTER I was in front of the device pulling slow a couple feet when both doors open at the same time and the fingers of my right hand were caught between top of the elecronic device and the first drawer causing serious possible injury to one of the fingers that gaveme tearing inside the fingertip and nail the base of the device is unstable because the base scuare is too smal in comparison of the high of the device and safety handle bars to pull or push dont exist at least on this machine and dont show if had before
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to tools, not specified on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are tools, not specified?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, tools, not specified have a danger score of 44/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 27,922 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from tools, not specified?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 47,903 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from tools, not specified increasing or decreasing?
Up 25% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for tools, not specified injuries?
The 35-44 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 107,785 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by tools, not specified?
Of all ER visits involving tools, not specified, approximately 6.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with tools, not specified?
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 Communication & Entertainment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 44/100 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 35-44 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.