Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Wallpaper ranks #684 of 838 by danger score (29/100) at ER-volume #591 of 838 (570/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #684
- danger rank of 838
- #591
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 29/100
- danger score
- 570/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 (29/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
29 Among the lowest lower than 82% 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: 29/100
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) | 5 | 41st | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 570 | 27th | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -28% | 23rd | 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 11,412 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 1863. Segments sum to 11,412 - 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 Building Materials & Home Structures 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.
Building Materials & Home Structures danger scores
How this 29/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for wallpaper - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 570 ER visits/yr Below median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 4.7% Below median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.00% No recorded fatalities
- 5-year trend-28%
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 wallpaper are declining by about 28% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2009 (1,064 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (212 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 1,854 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the lower trunk (601 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,645 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 4.7% 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 wallpaper 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 | 15 | 40 | |
| 5-14 | 50 | 22 | |
| 15-24 | 339 | 768 | |
| 25-34 | 937 | 747 | |
| 35-44 | 633 | 1,019 | |
| 45-54 | 633 | 2,012 | |
| 55-64 | 429 | 1,216 | |
| 65-74 | 379 | 1,032 | |
| 75+ | 104 | 1,036 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
81YOF C/O RT FOOT PAIN EDEMA AFTER DROPPING A ROLL OF WALLPAPER ON HER FOOT ABOUT 5 DAYS AGO DX: ACUTE PAIN EDEMA RT FOOT
65YOF, WAS STANDING ON A STEP STOOL IN THE BATHTUB HANGING WALLPAPER WHEN THE STOOL SLIPPED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HER AND FELL DX: CONTUSION OF RIB ON RIGHT SIDE; CONTUSION OF RIGHT ELBOW
24YOF, WAS PUTTING UP WALLPAPER A WEEK AGO WHEN SHE TWISTED HER ANKLE DX: ACUTE LEFT ANKLE PAIN
54YOM STS HE WAS REMOVING WALL PAPER AT HIS HOME THIS MORNING. THE BLADE HE WAS USING SLIPPED & STRUCK HIS R HAND JUST PROXIMAL TO THE THUMB. DX: RIGHT HAND LACERATION
38YOM INSTALLING WALLPAPER AND SLASHED FINGER ON RAZOR BLADE DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER
32YOF FELL TRYING TO TAKE WALLPAPER OFF A WALL. DX: DISLOCATION FOOT
66YOM TAKING WALL PAPER DOWN IN HIS BATHROOM, HE SLIPPED AND FELL, DX: STRAINED RT KNEE
72YOF PATIENT STATES 5 TO 6 DAYS AGO SHE WAS PUTTING UP WALLPAPER IN HER HOUSE, SHE STARTED HAVING PAIN IN HER LEFT LOW BACK WHICH RADIATES DOWN HER LEFT LEG DX: ACUTE LEFT SIDED LOW BACK PAIN WITH LEFT SIDED SCIATICA
39YOM WAS REMOVING WALL PAPER WITH A WALL PAPER SCRAPER AND INJURED LEFT WRIST DX: WRIST INJURY PT LWOT
59 YOF. EYE PAIN, REDNESS & SWELLING WHEN THE PT WAS TAKING OFF WALLPAPER AT HER HOME. DX: FB OF LT EYE; CONJUNCTIVITIS OF EYE
18YOF FELT SENSATION OF DEBRIS IN NOSE WHILE HANGING WALLPAPER, TRIED TO REMOVE W/ TISSUE AND NOSE BEGAN TO BLEED, DX: EPISTAXIS
53 YOM DEVELOPED A SORE THROAT AFTER HE INHALED A CHEMICAL IN HIS APARTMENT THAT WAS USED TO REMOVE WALLPAPER. DX: CHEMICAL INHALATION INJURY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I was hired to install Wall Coverings on a new home. I encountered a very "pungent" hand made wallpaper that was supposed to be installed in a child's bedroom. When I opened the package I felt like I had been maced - eyes and skin both burning and an unsettling in my stomach. I reported the defective wall covering to the designers who had it remade. I refused to do the install because of how it impacted me and because the homeowner had voiced her concerns over VOC and the health of her child who had extreme allergies. I believe that the company is using toxic chemicals in the manufacturing of the wall coverings. I have never encountered anything like it in my 38 years installing.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to wallpaper on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Building Materials & Home Structures
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Wallpaper: cross-group products nearest on danger score (29/100), estimated annual ER visits (570/yr), and hospitalization share (4.7%). 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.
- Drinking Fountains Laundry & Household Appliances 4.7%admitted
- Tableware & Accessories (excluding Drinking Glass,cups,mugs) Containers, Tableware & Packaging 4.8%admitted
- Bunk Beds Home Furnishings & Fixtures 4.8%admitted
- Art Supplies Or Equipment Home Structures & Construction Materials 4.7%admitted
Related Products in Building Materials & Home Structures
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, Wallpaper ranks #684 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #591 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does wallpaper rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, wallpaper ranks #684 by PlainSafety danger score (29/100) and #591 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (570/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from wallpaper?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 1,854 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from wallpaper increasing or decreasing?
Down 28% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for wallpaper injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,645 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by wallpaper?
Of all ER visits involving wallpaper, approximately 4.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with wallpaper?
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.