Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2023, Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns ranks #811 of 838 by danger score (22/100) at ER-volume #766 of 838 (114/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #811
- danger rank of 838
- #766
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 22/100
- danger score
- 114/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 (22/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
22 Among the lowest lower than 97% 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 · 2023
Composite verdict
Composite Safety Score: 13/100
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) | 1 | 5th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 114 | 9th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -42% | 10th | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 5 | 34th | 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 1,592 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 5015. Segments sum to 1,592 - 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 Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment 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.
Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment danger scores
How this 22/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 114 ER visits/yr Low volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 0.7% Low admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-42%
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 19-year NEISS window from 2005 to 2023, injury counts for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns are declining by about 42% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (363 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (10 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is burns, thermal to the upper leg, accounting for approximately 205 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the finger (173 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,296 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 0.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
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 toy caps, cap toys or cap guns 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 2023-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2023)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 144 | 94 | |
| 5-14 | 1,025 | 271 | |
| 35-44 | 56 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Elbow | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Burn, Not Spec. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ear | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
3YOF PLACED A CAP IN HER HER LEFT EAR PER MOTHER. DX: FOREIGN BODY OF LEFT EAR
7 YOM PLAYING WITH NEW CAP GUN WHEN A SPARK HIT HIS R EYE DX CORNEAL ABRASION
2YOM WAS AT HOME WHEN HE PLACED A WHITE RUBBER CAP (0.5CM IN DIAMETER) IN R NOSTRIL AND WAS UNABLE TO GET IT OUT. DX: R NOSTRIL F.B.
39YO M LACERATED HAND BETWEEN THUMB AND INDEX FINGER WHEN CHANGING OUT A CAP MACHINE. HAND SLIPPED AND THUMB SLICED BY MACHINE. DX:HAND LACERATION.
10 YO F WAS PLAYING WITH A CAP GUN AND IT SPARKED IN EYE DX EYE TRAUMA LT
3 YO M C/O SCALP LACERATION AND HEAD INJURY S/P HIT IN HEAD BY METAL TOY CAP GUN DX SCALP LACERATION, CLOSED HEAD INJURY W/O LOC
3YOM TOOK A CAP FROM A CAP GUN & PUT IT IN HIS LEFT EAR EARLIER TODAY DX: FOREIGN BODY IN EAR
2YOM WITH WHITE PLASTIC CAP IN NARE. PUSH DEEPER AFTER HOME ATTEMPTTO DISLODGE. DX: FB IN NOSE
11YM FIRED A CHILD'S TOY CAP GUN MULTI TIMES THEN PUT IT IN HIS POCKETWHERE IT IGNITED FIRE&BURNT FINGERS TAKING IT OUT OF HIS POCKET>>BURN
12YOM PLAYING WITH A CAP GUN LAST NIGHT, PUT CAPS IN HIS POCKET AFTERWARD, OUT OF NO WHERE THEY POPPED/EXPLODED IN POCKET;BURN INJ THIGH 2ND
13 YOM COUSIN THREW METAL POP GUN AND HIT HIM IN THE RT ELBOW. DX ELBOW SPRAIN @
7 YO M PLAYING WITH A TOY CAP GUN THE PAPER CAP TYPE PELLETS WERE SMOKING IN HIS PANTS POCKET BURNING HIS THIGH. DX 2ND DEGREE BURN RT THIGH
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
When firing the cap gun, one of the caps ignited and had a flame the size of a cigarette lighter flame. Luckily, my husband and I were standing right there when it happened (our 5 year old son was playing with the gun). The flame went out when our son dropped the gun in fear, but it was still smoldering for another minute where the flame had occured on the cap paper. Our son had been successfully enjoying the gun prior to this incident, so we were not expecting it at all.
08/20/2013) The consumer stated that her son had been shooting the cap gun for about five minutes. The consumer stated that all of a sudden flames shot out of the middle of the gun. The consumer stated that she grabbed the gun from him. The consumer stated that the flames burned themselves out in about a couple of seconds. The consumer stated that she thinks this is an unsafe product.
After turning the crank twice one of the caps ignited and caught on fire. It went out after a second and continued to smoke afterward. Thankfully I was the one using it when this occurred but it very easily could have been my 7 year old daughter. Needless to say she will not be playing with this toy.
My daughter's friend was showing her his cap gun he got for Christmas. He shot it a couple times then put it on his nightstand and they began playing something else. My daughter was sitting on the floor and moved her foot out and her sock hit part of the white thing the gun shoots out and ignited her sock leaving a burn mark on her foot and the floor. The boy shooting the cap gun was 9 and she is 6. The cap gun itself was nowhere near the incident.
While the 8 year old was playing with the cap gun (amount of time is unknown) , the roll of caps caught fire and fell to the floor. The cap gun spewed sparks in all directions. The mother of the child was able to put the fire out (method was not provided). The toy was taken away from the child and the firm as not contacted because the consumer was not sure the name of the company. No further information was provided.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to toy caps, cap toys or cap guns on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns: cross-group products nearest on danger score (22/100), estimated annual ER visits (114/yr), and hospitalization share (0.7%). 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 Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment
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, Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns ranks #811 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #766 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does toy caps, cap toys or cap guns rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, toy caps, cap toys or cap guns ranks #811 by PlainSafety danger score (22/100) and #766 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (114/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the upper leg, accounting for approximately 205 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from toy caps, cap toys or cap guns increasing or decreasing?
Down 42% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,296 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
Of all ER visits involving toy caps, cap toys or cap guns, approximately 0.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (99.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
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.