Danger score versus ER volume
Danger score versus ER volume
According to CPSC NEISS 2005-2024, Water Heaters, Not Specified ranks #419 of 838 by danger score (35/100) at ER-volume #377 of 838 (2,656/yr). They are not the same ranking.
- #419
- danger rank of 838
- #377
- ER-volume rank of 838
- 35/100
- danger score
- 2,656/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 (35/100) across 838 scored CPSC product categories
35 Lower than most lower than 50% 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: 57/100
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) | 9 | 68th | 35% | CPSC NEISS 20-year severity index |
| Annual ER injury volume | 2,656 | 51st | 30% | CPSC NEISS estimated annual ER-treated injuries |
| 5-year injury trend | -30% | 22nd | 15% | CPSC NEISS 5-year % change in ER-treated injuries |
| Consumer incident reports | 50 | 74th | 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 53,130 estimated ER injuries land on the body
Body-part shares from the same CPSC NEISS injury_types extract for product code 134. Segments sum to 53,130 - 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 Laundry & Household Appliances 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.
Laundry & Household Appliances danger scores
How this 35/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for water heaters, not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume 2,656 ER visits/yr Above median volume
- Severity (hospitalization rate) 6.8% Above median admission rate
- Fatality rate 0.17% Elevated fatality rate
- 5-year trend-30%
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 water heaters, not specified are declining by about 30% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2011 (4,197 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (1,667 estimated visits). The single most common ER diagnosis is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 5,583 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by strain, sprain to the lower trunk (4,509 cases). The 35-44 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 11,373 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 6.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.17%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 50 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how water heaters, not specified 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 | 1,025 | 1,150 | |
| 5-14 | 882 | 860 | |
| 15-24 | 3,530 | 485 | |
| 25-34 | 8,456 | 1,765 | |
| 35-44 | 9,241 | 2,132 | |
| 45-54 | 8,540 | 1,575 | |
| 55-64 | 5,973 | 1,186 | |
| 65-74 | 2,721 | 1,195 | |
| 75+ | 1,566 | 846 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Burn, Scald |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
58YOM PRESENTS WITH CHEST WALL PAIN THAT STARTED WHILE HE WAS WORKING ON A HOT WATER HEATER AT HIS SON'S HOUSE. DX: CHEST PAIN
55YOM - MOVED A LARGE WATER HEATER AT HOME ABOUT 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL - SHARP CHEST PAIN IN THE LOWER MID CHEST - DISCOMFORT IN BOTH ARMS LEFT GREATER THAN RIGHT - LITTLE BIT SWEATY AND LIGHTHEADED - DX: ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME, CHEST TIGHTNESS, HISTORY OF MI (MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION)
50YOM WATER HEATER FELL ON FINGERDX AVULSION FINGER
70YOF PRESENTS TO ED FOR LEFT FOOT PAIN AND SWELLING. PT WAS HELPING MOVE A WATER HEATER WHENMETAL FILE ACCIDENTALY FELL AROUND 4 DT HITTING HER THORUGH SLIPPERS ON TOP OF LEFT OFOT. HAD SOME BLEEDING IN PUNCTURE WOUND BUT NOT VERY DEEP. FOOT PAIN. DX: SWELLING OF LEFT FOOT
79YOM WITH C/O RIGHT SIDED ABDOMINAL PAIN OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS HE WAS MOVING A HOT WATER HEATER AT HOME AND THINKS HE STRAINED HIS BACK. DX: ABDOMINAL PAIN
39 YOM C/O INJ TO MID BACK AFTER MOVING A HEAVY WATER HEATER AT HOME DX MID THORACTIC BACK STRAIN
33YOM STATES THAT HE WAS WORKING ON A WATER HEATER WHEN HIS HAND SLIPPED AND HE SUSTAINED A LACERATION DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT FIFTH FINGER
35 YOM L UPPER ARM PAIN MOVING WATER HEATER DX; ARM STRAIN
69YOM WAS PULLING A WATER HEATER WITH HIS FOOT PLANTED AND FELT SOMETHING POP IN HIS RIGHT LATERAL THIGH. DX: RIGHT THIGH INJURY, CONTUSION (HEMATOMA) RIGHT THIGH
54YOM,LOWBACKPAIN AFTER INSTALLING WATER HEATER WITH FRIEND,SOME LIFTING,DX:LOWBACKPAIN
55YOM,MOVING WATER HEATER 1WK AGO AN CUT FINGER,SWELLING,DX:FINGER LAC
50 YOM MOVING HOT WATER HEATER AT HOME, CUT LOWER LEG DX LOWER LEG LACERATION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Water heater is failing due to steel connections provided with Richmond Water heater. Called company they said they would send same part even though it is faulty. Mind you the water heater is only 3 years old.
Bosch aqua star tankless water heater has faulty sensor. Results in water tempratures fluxuating between scalding hot and cold resulting in potential scalding injuries.
Caller is reporting that the water heater caused an electric shock when her spouse touched the unit . She stated that they had service call a few months after the unit was installed for hot water issues, however, the same incident occurred again. The manufacturer was contacted but they advised her that it was not something that they could assist her with. She stated that there is a problem with heating element and the water heater has not been in her home for a year as yet. Caller feels that this unit is a shock hazard and should be recalled.
The consumer indicates that he has had the Honeywell control valve of his A.O. Smith water heater (Model Number: G6-S4040NVR400) replaced four times under the Manufacturer's warranty because they continue to leak gas. 07/18/2020 - The consumer had the water heater replaced under warranty however it was also leaking gas. 08/04/2020 - The gas company red-tagged the water heater. The consumer contacted the Manufacturer and another replacement control valve was installed. 08/08/2020 - The consumer shut off his gas as he smelled it round his home. 08/10/2020 - A gas company technician turned off the gas to the water heater and red-tagged the unit once more. The consumer plans on contacting the warranty department once again.
Item - Hot water tank (for home). Issue: Catastrophic failure of circuit board failure; scorching - potential for fire in (plastic filled) unit. Manufacture: Rheem. Model number: HB50ES.
We've been using this hot water dispenser for maybe a year and a half https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W4DT2G9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1. One morning we lifted it by the carrying handle and it completely fell apart and dismantled itself. Luckily I didn't get burned but the chance was very high. Looking through the current reviews there are a few stories which match ours and even a few people who have had their forearms burned on the amazon page. This is a huge hazard as this thing boils hot water and the last thing people expect is it to fall apart when being held.
We purchased a Whirlpool water heater in 2010. On July 12th, 2014, we noticed a burning smell in the house. The smell was coming from the energy smart control box located on top of the water heater. The box had overheated and had melted. Upon researching this issue, I found numerous complaints regarding this box overheating. Whirlpool was contacted and have agreed to ship a new control panel. Even though the water heater is under warranty, Whirlpool wants me to install the replacement part. I'm a little concerned that this is a known issue and no steps have been taken by Whirlpool to fix this problem. The results could have been serious had we not been home and awake.
The [REDACTED] Volunteer Fire Department responded to TWO incidents involving the SAME water heater brands on the same date. Weather was dry and cool, and units are older but what seems odd is that they were same make and model on same date.
Showing 8 of 50 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to water heaters, not specified on the CPSC website.
Compare beyond Laundry & Household Appliances
Nationwide peers by danger score, ER volume & hospitalization
Three PlainSafety-derived comparison paths for Water Heaters, Not Specified: cross-group products nearest on danger score (35/100), estimated annual ER visits (2,656/yr), and hospitalization share (6.8%). 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.
- Liquid Drugs Transportation & Substances 6.8%admitted
- Monkey Bars Or Other Playground Climbing Apparatus Sports & Recreation Equipment 6.8%admitted
- Desks, Chests, Bureaus Or Buffets Home Furnishings & Fixtures 6.8%admitted
- Pine Oil Cleaning And Disinfectant Preparations Home Workshop Tools & Equipment 6.8%admitted
Related Products in Laundry & Household Appliances
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, Water Heaters, Not Specified ranks #419 of 838 scored CPSC product categories by PlainSafety danger score and #377 of 838 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does water heaters, not specified rank on danger score versus ER volume?
Among 838 scored CPSC product categories, water heaters, not specified ranks #419 by PlainSafety danger score (35/100) and #377 by 20-year estimated ER injury volume (2,656/yr). The two rankings come from the same NEISS extract and are not the same order.
What are the most common injuries from water heaters, not specified?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 5,583 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from water heaters, not specified increasing or decreasing?
Down 30% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for water heaters, not specified injuries?
The 35-44 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 11,373 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by water heaters, not specified?
Of all ER visits involving water heaters, not specified, approximately 6.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with water heaters, not specified?
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.