Vending Machines
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 Medical & Assistance Devices · CPSC Code 1733
Down 29% over 5 years
The verdict
Vending Machines carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,675 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 29% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,675
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 14.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1733 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for vending machines - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,675 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)14.4%
- Fatality rate0.07%
- 5-year trend-29%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Vending Machines (CPSC product code 1733, in the Home Medical & Assistance Devices category) generate an estimated 2,675 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 53,490 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 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 declining by about 29% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (4,578 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2023 (1,168 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for vending machines is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 5,658 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the upper trunk (4,111 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 8,621 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 14.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.07%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how vending machines 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 | 2,174 | 967 | |
| 5-14 | 3,050 | 1,178 | |
| 15-24 | 3,144 | 1,653 | |
| 25-34 | 3,058 | 1,616 | |
| 35-44 | 3,134 | 2,028 | |
| 45-54 | 3,445 | 4,069 | |
| 55-64 | 2,864 | 5,105 | |
| 65-74 | 3,000 | 4,387 | |
| 75+ | 3,542 | 5,079 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Other | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Fracture | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
16YOM REPORTS GETTING ANGRY AT SCHOOL YESTERDAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY PUNCHED A VENDING MACHINE WITH ASSOCIATED PAIN AND SWELLING OF HIS RIGHT HAND. DX: FRACTURE OF METACARPAL BONE OF RIGHT HAND
33YOM STS PUNCHED A VENDING MACHINE C/O R HAND PAIN BRUISING & SWELLING R HAND DX HAND CONTUSION
59YOF REPORTS WITH LACERATION TO FINGER WHILE SHE WAS AT THE CASINO. PATIENT STATES SHE WAS PRESSING A BUTTON ON A SLOT MACHINE WHEN THE PLASTIC BROKE. DX FINGER LACERATION
41 YOM WITH LEFT ARM PAIN. PATIENT STATES THAT HE FELL A FEW DAYS AGO WHILE HE WAS WALKING TO THE VENDING MACHINE. STATES THAT SINCE THEN HE HAS BEEN HAVING PAIN IN HIS LEFT ARM. DX CLOSED FX PROXIMAL END LEFT HUMERUS
22YOM PRESENTS AFTER A SYNCOPAL EPISODE WHERE HE STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS HEAD ON THE SODA MACHINE AND THEN FELL TO THE GROUND DX: SYNCOPE
61YOM PT SLAMMED LOWER LEG INTO VENDING MACHINE W/ SMALL CUT AND BLEEDING TO ANTERIOR LEG, +BED BUGS, DX:LAC OF LT LOWER EXTREMITY, BEDBUG BITE
59 YOF WAS AT A CASINO WHEN A SECURITY GUARD WAS RUNNING QUICKLY ON A CALL, BUMPED INTO HER AND SHE STRUCK HER BACK ON THE CORNER OF A MACHINE AT THE CASINO. DX: BACK PAIN, LEFT LOWER EXTREMITY PAIN, CONTUSION LEFT SIDE OF BACK
36YOF REACHED INTO A *** MACHINE TO RETRIEVE HER *** & CUT RIGHT INDEX FINGER ON A METAL BRACKET DX LACERATION RIGHT INDEX FINGER
74 YOF WAS AT THE CASINO PLAYING THE SLOTS, WHEN SHE GOT UP, FELT DIZZY AND FELL FORWARD STRIKING HER HEAD. +ABRASION HEAD, HEADACHE. DX: SYNCOPE
12 YOM. HEAD & FACIAL INJURY AFTER BEING PUSHED ON VENDING MACHINE AT SCHOOL. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY; TRAUMATIC HEMATOMA OF FOREHEAD
20YOM WITH INJURY TO THUMB AFTER GETTING IT CAUGHT BETWEEN VENDING MACHINE AND THE WALL. DX: RIGHT THUMB INJURY
47YOM, PRESENTING WITH THE SENSATION OF RACING HEART BEGAN WHILE PLAYING WITH SLOT MACHINES AT THE CASINO DX: PALPITATIONS
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
An electrical component of a Nestle beverage cooler for juice dispensing had an electrical failure and created a burning odor in a hotel lobby.
Electrocuted by rusty neglected glacier primo water corp vending machine , broke my back and wrist I am partially paralyzed and have secondary injuries . I found other rusty machines in the area at the time and two years later I am finding machines rusted with frame rot and no government or state/ local agency will help me and environmental health and managers fail to realize In front of [REDACTED] or store fronts are part of the store . I am in litigation for two years and they have hurt people before me and still do not take any accountability or change any policy to maintain their equipment for safety. Their inspectors seem inept to say the least not seeing rust metal and electrical plugs with water for money is an issue .. everyone I have called says Im calling the wrong place . I have found machines rusted our nation wide and all across California.
I ordered a coffee from a vending machine and followed directions to remove the coffee from the machine. instead of coffee, it was an over filled cup of boiling hot water and it was impossible for me to avoid burning my hand by trying to remove what i thought was a cup of coffee
ON SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM AT [REDACTED] HIGH SCHOOL IN THE TEACHERS WORKROOM, I GOT MY RIGHT HAND CAUGHT IN THE [REDACTED] VENDING MACHINE VENDING MACHINE. HOW THIS HAPPENED WAS THE DIET [REDACTED] HAD DROPPED DOWN INTO THE TRAY, BUT IT HAD DROPPED SOMEWHAT SIDEWAYS. THERE WAS A TEACHER IN THE WORK ROOM, AND WE BOTH HAD COMMENTED, "THAT WE HAD HEARD IT DROP, BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT" I PUT MY RIGHT HAND INTO THE DOOR OF THE SODA VENDING MACHINE AND FELT THE SODA BOTTLE, BUT IT FELT SIDEWAYS. I PUT MY HAND ON THE BOTTLE TO MOVE IT TO THE CENTER OF THE DOOR WHEN I TRIED TO PULL MY HAND OUT, I COULD NOT. AND I COULD NOT RELEASE MY HAND OFF OF THE BOTTLE THE TEACHER TRIED UNSUCESSFULLY TO FREE MY HAND. IN THE MEANTIME, THIS DOOR TO THE VENDING MACHINE WAS CRUSHING AGAINST MY RIGHT WRIST. APPROXIMATELY 6 CO-WORKERS CAME TO HELP OUT. ONE OF MY CO-WORKERS STUCK A PAIR OF SCISSORS INTO THE UTILE HOLES ON THE SIDE OF THE DOOR AND PUSHED THE SODA BOTTLE BACK ENOUGH SO THAT I COULD RELEASE MY HAND OFF OF IT. BUT I STILL COULD NOT GET MY HAND OUT OF THE VENDING MACHINE DOOR THIS SAME CO-WORKER TOOK AN APPROXIMATELY 1" FLAT BAR (ATTACHED TO A COMMERCIAL STAPLER) AND PRIED THE VENDING MACHINE DOOR UP ENOUGH SO THAT I COULD EASE MY HAND OUT. THIS WAS ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF CO-WORKER'S TRYING TO PUSH THE DOOR INWARD AND OUTWARD, IN THE MEANTIME MY WRIST WAS BEING FURTHER CLAMPED DOWN ON AND FEELING AS THOUGH IT WAS BEING CRUSHED. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN POSTED ON THIS MACHINE THE MODEL NUMBER IS 576PCZ00075 020516. BASIC UNIT 7579 SERIAL 956541. I LATER WENT TO THE ER TO GET CHECKED OUT. IT WAS DETERMINED, NO BONES WERE BROKEN. (WHICH I FELT LUCKY, AT MY AGE, I COULD HAVE HAD MY WRIST BROKEN.) I AM A 63 YEAR OLD WOMAN AND TO HAVE THIS FREAK ACCIDENT WHERE THIS SODA VENDING MACHINE CRUSHED DOWN ON MY RIGHT WRIST, I AM AFRAID THAT THIS MAY CAUSE ME PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE IT ALSO CAUSED MAJOR PAIN AND EMBARASSMENT
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to vending machines on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are vending machines?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, vending machines have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,675 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from vending machines?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 5,658 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from vending machines increasing or decreasing?
Down 29% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for vending machines injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 8,621 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by vending machines?
Of all ER visits involving vending machines, approximately 14.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (85.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with vending machines?
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 Medical & Assistance Devices
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 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.
