Window Sills Or Frames
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.
Building Materials & Home Structures · CPSC Code 1870
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Window Sills Or Frames carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 17,053 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 17,053
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.2%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1870 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for window sills or frames - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume17,053 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.2%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-9%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Window Sills Or Frames (CPSC product code 1870, in the Building Materials & Home Structures category) generate an estimated 17,053 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 341,068 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 roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2014 (20,753 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2008 (13,704 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for window sills or frames is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 68,872 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (58,594 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 136,755 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 3.2% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how window sills or frames 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 | 89,539 | 47,216 | |
| 5-14 | 39,163 | 22,507 | |
| 15-24 | 11,563 | 15,437 | |
| 25-34 | 10,315 | 9,898 | |
| 35-44 | 6,889 | 9,746 | |
| 45-54 | 7,831 | 9,227 | |
| 55-64 | 7,538 | 9,898 | |
| 65-74 | 7,656 | 10,358 | |
| 75+ | 9,146 | 16,980 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Mouth | Dental Injury | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
18YOF PUNCHED A WINDOW FRAME AFTER BECOMING AGITATED. DX: CONTUSION OF RIGHT HAND.
11 YOM TRIPPED FELL INTO WINDOW WELL STRUCK FOREHEAD DX INJURY HEAD, LACERATION EAR
63YOF HAD UNWITNESSED FALL IN HER ROOM. SHE WAS FOUND ON THE FLOOR. STRUCK RIGHT SIDE OF HER HEAD PRESUMABLY ON THE WINDOW SILL. SHE THOUGHTS SHE'D GET OUT OF HER WHEELCHAIR. NO KNOWN LOC. DX: HEAD INJURY, HISTORY OF FALLING
77YOF FELL STRIKING HEAD ON WINDOW SILL DX:CLOSED HEAD INJURY,LAC SCALP
82YOF HAD A MECHANICAL SLIP AND FALL STRIKING HER CHEST ON MARBLE WINDOW SILL DX:RIB FRACTURE
19MOM TO ER W/ MOM AFTER PT FELL AT HOME 30 MINS AGO , PT WAS RUNNING TO GREET DAD WHO GOT HOME FROM WORK & PT FELL HIT HEAD ON WINDOW SILL W/ HEAD & EAR ON LEFT SIDE, BRUISING TO LEFT EARLOBE, INJURY OF HEAD DX INJURY OF HEAD
43YOF C/O SCALP LACERATION AND HEAD INJURY S/P PT STATES SHE WAS IN THE BATHROOM AND TRIPPED ON HER CAT AND FELL BACKWARDS CAUSING HER TO HIT THE BACK OF HER HEAD ON THE WINDOW LEDGE AND FELL INSIDE THE BATHTUB. DX: SCALP LACERATION AND HEAD INJURY
3YOM PRESENTS AFTER HIS CHIN HIT A WINDOW SILL. DX: CHIN LACERATION
5 YOM HIT HIS HEAD ON A WINDOW SILL. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
86YOF TRIPPED OVER AN EXTENSION CORD AND FELL STRIKING HEAD ON A WINDOW SILL DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
7YOM WAS PLAY WRESTLING W/ BROTHER WHEN HE GOT PUSHED AND FELL HEAD-FORWARD INTO WOODEN WINDOWSILL. DX: R FRONTAL SCALP LAC 1CM
19YOF HIT BACK OF HEAD ON A WINDOW SILL. DX CONCUSSION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Andersen Corporation window frame design presents an occupational safety hazard at temperatures below < 0F. Window frame water drainage design of secondary glider, results in a frozen air infiltration path with freezing of interior surfaces, in which the following occupational safety hazards occur: < 0F (-18C) Ice Formation / Freezing Surface Occurs [Secondary Glider Only] < 0F (-18C) Inoperable Opening / Blocked Egress [Both Gliders] Johnson et al., ANTI-SPUTTERING SILL SYSTEM AND METHOD U.S. Patent 2015/0159428 A1, Jun. 11, 2015. Note: * Occupational safety hazard of obstructed egress is same for all (7) of same window types installed. * IGU failure (Collapsed Window Pane / Negative Pressure) has occurred for 35% of installed type less than 6 months after installation. * Renewal by Anderson windows are only sold through their direct in-home design consultants See Attached PDF (CPSC SAFETY REPORT AND-N-146-02842-00001.pdf) For Further Details
Hi, My name is[REDACTED], Ive experienced many damaged channel balances / busted moldings / cracked trim sash strips and broken framing screws on several windows in my townhouse. When these windows are opened the channel balances can break unexpectedly, dropping the window down making a very loud crashing sound with a furious force that can cause injury/death to anyone near them. Classic Group built my townhouse with Ply Gem Patriot 2400 windows that ultimately are defective/dangerous. My wife and I purchased the end unit townhouse from Classic Group 3/10/2010 in the Parklands development of Gaithersburg MD. Ply Gem has made several attempts/trips to our townhouse trying to fix/repair the damaged channel balances / busted moldings / cracked trim sash strips and broken framing screws to no real success from the time of purchasing the house in 2010 All broken parts have continued to break again resulting in the windows not being used!
Blueskin Butyl Flashing by Henry was used in the installation of windows in our home November 5 and 6th. The flashing is applied on the inside and outside of the house. [REDACTED] adhesive was used on the flashing on the outside of our home between the flashing and the nail in windows. From the first day forward a strong chemical off-gassing came from the windows. It grew worse once the exterior wood was placed over the windows. After over two months the off-gassing has NOT subsided. We have been unable to be in our home for more than a few minutes at a time. We have symptoms of headaches (migraines), confusion, short term memory loss, sore throat, and difficulty breathing which seemed to be more cardiac than pulmonary from exposure. The loss of short term memory seems to be the longest symptom to resolve and I am still having symptoms. I have stopped entering my house for this reason. My husband clipped off a piece of the Blueskin Butyl Flashing from the inside of the house and put it in a sealed jar. This clipped had been stuck on the wood frame of the window, but not other adhesive used on this portion according to our window installer. We opened the jar outside the home and identified this as the same chemical that is permeating our home. Our concern is that the volatiles are in all the contents of our home including drywall and insulation at this point. The Blueskin Flashing was approved for use without the company divulging the major ingredients of the product. No information is available on the SDS regarding the volatile compounds used. It only lists it as" butyl compounds". We contacted them and they claim it does not smell, which is clearly false. They do not know what chemicals it interacts with or are safe to use with the product even though it is routinely used in homes along with other adhesives in the flashing. We had to move out of our home with our three children. We have had both financial, emotion and mental stress. We have had no help a
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to window sills or frames on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are window sills or frames?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, window sills or frames have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 17,053 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from window sills or frames?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 68,872 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from window sills or frames increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for window sills or frames injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 136,755 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by window sills or frames?
Of all ER visits involving window sills or frames, approximately 3.2% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.8%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with window sills or frames?
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 Building Materials & Home Structures
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 0-4 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.
