Trays (excl. Food Warmers)
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.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 432
Up 11% over 5 years
The verdict
Trays (excl. Food Warmers) carry a danger score of 39/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 4,095 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 11% over the last five years.
- 39/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 4,095
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 8.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 432 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 39/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for trays (excl. food warmers) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume4,095 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)8.1%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+11%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Trays (excl. Food Warmers) (CPSC product code 432, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 4,095 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 81,899 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 39/100 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 11% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (5,363 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2015 (2,614 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for trays (excl. food warmers) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 7,416 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the face (5,908 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 18,114 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 8.1% 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 trays (excl. food warmers) 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 | 6,027 | 3,682 | |
| 5-14 | 3,291 | 3,437 | |
| 15-24 | 2,172 | 4,535 | |
| 25-34 | 3,351 | 4,247 | |
| 35-44 | 3,082 | 4,208 | |
| 45-54 | 2,877 | 5,773 | |
| 55-64 | 3,257 | 6,085 | |
| 65-74 | 2,296 | 5,376 | |
| 75+ | 4,068 | 14,046 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
76YOF TRIPPED OVER A FOOD TRAY LANDING ON OTTOMAN ON ABD. C/O DIZZINESS. NO PAINDX BENIGN VERTIGO
84YOF WAS HELPING LOAD THE DINNER TRAY TODAY WHEN SHE SLIPPED & FELL ON HER BUTTOCK. NO HEAD STRIKE. HE HAD IMMEDIATE PAIN OF THE RIGHT HIP. SHE HAS TAKEN HER DOSE OF MORPHINE AT THE HOSPICE & IT HAS NOT HELPED. DX: HIP FRACTURE
33YOF PUTTING AWAY A WOODEN TV TRAY WHEN A SPLINTER WENT UNDER HER FINGERNAIL. DX: SUBUNGUAL FOREIGN BODY OF FINGER.
77 YOF FELL HIT FACE ON TV TRAY STAND DX FACIAL CONTUSION, NECK CONTUSION
61YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST WALL PAIN AND A FALL. PATIENT HAD A SLIP AND FALL YESTERDAY WHEN HE WAS CARRYING A TRAY OF FOOD. HE INJURED HIS LEFT HIP AND DID NOT INJURE HIS CHEST WALL. THERE IS A SMALL BRUISE TO HIS LEFT LOWER BACK OVERLYING THE HIP. DX: HISTORY OF FALLING, OTHER CHEST PAIN.
50YOM REPORTS HE WAS CARRYING A TRAY WHEN HE HYPEREXTENDED HIS LEG AND ALMOST FELL. COMPLAINS OF CALF PAIN. DX CALF STRAIN
36 YOM WITH FOOT PAIN AFTER DROPPING A HEAVY TRAY ON IT 4 DAYS PTA. DX ACUTE FOOT PAIN
60YOF BIB EMS FOR FALL AND SEIZURE TODAY FROM SHELTER. SHE WAS EATING HER TRAY OF FOOD AND DOES REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. PATIENT CAME IN WITH ABRASION ABOVE THE LEFT EYE. PATIENT URINATED ON HERSELF, BIT HER TONGUE AND HAS A LOWER LIP LACERATION. DX: SEIZURE
67YOM WITH FALL AT NURSING HOME . PT GOT UP TO GET A TRAY AND FELL HITTING HEAD. DX; FALL
67YOM WITH CHEST PAIN AFTER HE WAS IT IN THE CHEST BY HIS FOOD TRAY DX: NAUSEA AND VOMITING
17YOF AT SCHOOL, WAS EMPTYING HER LUNCH TRAY AND SHE GOT HER LONG NAIL CAUGHT ON SOMETHING AND PULLED IT BACK DX; LT 5TH FINGERNAIL AVULSION
73YOF, TRIPPED AND FELL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP A FOOD TRAY STRIKING HEAD WITHOUT LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND NOT ON BLOOD THINNERS COMPLAINING OF WRIST PAIN, DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF DISTAL END OF LEFT RADIUS; LACERATION OF FOREHEAD
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
The overhead handle on coffee serving tray cracked off under the weight of the filled coffee cups and filled creamer and sugar pot. This resulted in the tray falling to the ground in front of me. I received second degree burns on the tops of our feet and ankles from the coffee. The tray had almost never been used before and was never dropped or abused and showed no signs of damage to warn us before it happened. One or two seconds prior to when the handle completely cracked off I heard an audible ping. The handle appeared to be very poorly designed and seemed much to week and brittle to support the weight of the filled tray.
The tv tray collapsed suddenly, as it didn't have screws holding the supports in. My food went all over me and the floor. The tray hit me. Luckily it didn't cut me, even though it has some sharper edges, and my food was no longer hot, so it didn't burn me, but I could see this causing potential injuries. I reached out to the company, but they just said it was outside of the return window and didn't recognize it as being a quality or safety concern.
March 12, 2017 Sir: This letter is to inform your agency about what maybe a serious health risk associated with a product produced in Thailand. On February 19, 2017, I purchased a TV tray from the Target store located in Falls Church, Virginia - a copy of the sales receipt is enclosed. The TV tray is described in the enclosed "flyer" which came with the product. The flyer states: "Durable Top wood surface wipes clean quickly and easily." The tray does not have any visible coating or paint. The flyer displays the tray in what appears to be with a walnut finish. The TV tray I purchased did not have any visible coating. In fact, the surface appeared to be that of unfinished wood. The problem I encountered arose when I stained the tray's surface with a walnut stain on Monday, March 5, 2017. The use of the stain apparently reacted with what must be a coating intended to make it easier to clean the tray's surface. The application of the walnut stain may have caused an invisible and odorless gas to be produced. This caused me to experience a breathing problem which is still evident today. I had to remove the tray from my apartment in order to stop breathing the gas. As I write this letter, I still feel some minor breathing problems from the side effects from the gas. If this is a common problem with this product, it could prove to be very dangerous to people with respiratory conditions. I trust your agency will look into this product to prevent possible harm to others. Sincerely, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]
Bacon Wave Microwave Bacon Tray partially melted when I cooked bacon in the microwave, following package directions. The tray has vertical ribs to hold the bacon strips. Plastic skewers are pierced through the slices to hold them in place. One of the ribs melted and was deformed. Another rib melted and had a piece of bacon embedded in the melted plastic. Also there was a chip of plastic embedded in at least one of the pieces of bacon. There may have been more that we inadvertently ate!! Unfortunately we did not notice the melting until we were cleaning the device, after we had eaten the bacon. Since we have no way to know if we ate any plastic, we don't know if we were victims or not. Therefore we are not reporting any victims.
I think the product got hotter that recommended (200) but did not even consider it could explode. I guess there is not a vent hole to prevent explosion if too hot and I have attached pictures. The pressure was so great that it cracked a pizza stone that was in the broiler section under the oven. The insert blew out of the Tray and was on fire in the bottom of the oven. I'm surprised the front glass did not blow out of the oven. You can see the pressure as the tray is buckled and the top section partially came apart from the bottom. We were about 30 seconds from removing from the oven and it could have seriously injured or killed people in the kitchen.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to trays (excl. food warmers) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are trays (excl. food warmers)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, trays (excl. food warmers) have a danger score of 39/100 (low risk). An estimated 4,095 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from trays (excl. food warmers)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 7,416 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from trays (excl. food warmers) increasing or decreasing?
Up 11% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for trays (excl. food warmers) injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 18,114 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by trays (excl. food warmers)?
Of all ER visits involving trays (excl. food warmers), approximately 8.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (91.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with trays (excl. food warmers)?
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 Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 39/100 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 75+ 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.