Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Towel Racks Or Bars ranks #370 of 838 by danger score (36/100) at ER-volume #350 of 838 (3,085/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #370
- danger rank of 838
- #350
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 36/100
- danger score
- 3,085/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: 51/100
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) | 10 | 76th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 3,085 | 53rd | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -21% | 33rd | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 1 | 18th | 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 61,707 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 657. Segments sum to 61,707 - 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 Furnishings & Fixtures 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 Furnishings & Fixtures danger scores
How this 36/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for towel racks or bars - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 3,085 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 10.1% High admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-21%
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 towel racks or bars are declining by about 21% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2018 (4,935 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (1,823 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 10,538 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the head (7,067 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 13,444 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 10.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1 consumer incident report filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how towel racks or bars 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 | 1,635 | 1,620 | |
| 5-14 | 4,351 | 2,402 | |
| 15-24 | 3,219 | 4,441 | |
| 25-34 | 2,780 | 3,958 | |
| 35-44 | 2,528 | 3,507 | |
| 45-54 | 2,319 | 3,246 | |
| 55-64 | 2,831 | 3,038 | |
| 65-74 | 2,819 | 3,529 | |
| 75+ | 4,601 | 8,843 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Elbow | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
85YOM STATES IN THE BATHROOM AT HOME TOWEL ROD FELL OFF AND HIT L 4TH TOE DX TOE LACERATION
74YOF FELL AND HIT BACK OF HEAD, LACERATION NOTED TO BACK OF HEAD. PT WAS USING THE BATHROOM WHEN SHE GRABBED ONTO THE TOWEL RACK, WHICH GAVE WAY FROM THE WALL AND SHE SUBSEQUENTLY FELL BACK AFTER LOSING BALANCE, STRUCK BACK OF SCALP AGAINST DOOR. DX: SCALP LACERATION, FALL
73YOM WAS WALKING AND TRIPPED ON HIS WALKER AND FELL BACKWARDS, HITTING HIS HEAD AGAINST A TOWEL RACK. DX: HEAD LACERATION
73YOM COMPLAINS OF MUSCLE SPASMS IN FEET AND LEGS. HAD ONE IN HIS LOWER BACK AND TRIED TO GRAB AND TOWEL BAR AND IT BROKE AND HE FELL. DX: MUSCLE SPASM, RETROPERITONEAL LYMPHADENOPATHY, LEUKOCYTOSIS
70YOF, NH PT FELL FORWARD IN BATHROOM HIT HEAD ON TOWEL RACK, C/O LACERATION UPPER POSTERIOR SCALP DX: SCALP LACERATION
64YOF WAS HOLDING ONTO A METAL BAR IN THE BATHROOM THE BAR GAVE AWAY AND SHE FELL LANDING ON HER TAILBONE AS WELL AS HITTING HER HEAD. EXAM: DOES HAVE HEMATOMA ON RIGHT FOREHEAD, SHE DOES HAVE PAIN WHEN I PALPATE THE TAILBONE. DX: CONTUSION HEAD INITIAL, PAIN SACRAL.
20 YOM WRESTLING W/FRIEND, CUT R FOOT ON TOWEL RACK DX: FOOT LAC
28YOM STRUCK HIS HEAD ON THE CORNER OF A METAL TOWEL RACK NOW HAS A HEADACHE DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
29YOM WITH SCALP LAC S.P SOMEONE WAS THROWING FIRECRACKERS AT HIS HOUSE AND RUSHED OUT OF THE SHOWER AND HIT HEAD ON TOWEL RACK. DX: SCALP LAC
58YOM, LOST HIS BALANCE IN THE BATHROOM, REACHED OUT TO GRAB A TOWEL RACK TO BREAK HIS FALL AND IT BROKE, INJURING HIS RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER DX: FINGER PAIN
60YOF PRESENTED TO ED C/O NEEDLE STICK TO FINGER, PT STATED SHE PUNCTURED HER 4TH FINGER FROM A TOWEL CLIP INSTRUMENT. DX; ACCIDENTAL HYPODERMIC NEEDLE STICK
50YOF PRESENTS AFTER SHE HIT HER HEAD ON A TOWEL RACK IN THE BATHROOM TODAY. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
This 76 year old consumer thought there may be an issue with his towel heater sometime around August 2018 when he noticed slight bulging in the slats. As time has gone on he has noticed more and more bulging which has brought him to the conclusion that there may be excessive heat coming from the unit. If he turns this unit he can hear liquid gurgling inside. He is reporting this towel heater as a potential fire and burn hazard and a possibility of dowTherm fluid leakage. There are no injuries being reported He contacted the manufacturers representative around November/December 2018 and he was advised that a recall on other units did not apply to his unit and he should be happy to have had as many years of service from his towel heater.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to towel racks or bars on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Home Furnishings & Fixtures
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Towel Racks Or Bars: cross-group products nearest on danger score (36/100), estimated annual ER visits (3,085/yr), and hospitalization share (10.1%). 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 Furnishings & Fixtures
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, Towel Racks Or Bars ranks #370 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #350 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does towel racks or bars rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, towel racks or bars ranks #370 by PlainSafety danger score (36/100) and #350 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (3,085/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from towel racks or bars?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 10,538 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from towel racks or bars increasing or decreasing?
Down 21% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for towel racks or bars injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 13,444 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by towel racks or bars?
Of all ER visits involving towel racks or bars, approximately 10.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (89.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with towel racks or bars?
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.