Product safety rankings
Which consumer products send the most Americans to the emergency room?
The single most dangerous product category is General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires, with a danger score of 71/100 and roughly 14,776 ER visits a year. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these rankings draw on 20 years (2005–2024) of National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data, last compiled March 2026, to rank all 838 tracked categories by injury volume, severity, and trend. See the methodology for how each figure is derived.
- 838
- categories ranked
- 20 yrs
- of NEISS data (2005–2024)
- 71/100
- highest danger score
- 27%
- highest hospitalization rate
The verdict
Everyday surfaces top the danger list: General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires (score 71) and Floors Or Flooring Materials (score 59) lead by ER volume, while Crutches, Canes Or Walkers carries the highest hospitalization rate at 27.4%.
- #1 71
- General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires
- 14,776/yr
- ER visits, top category
- +2054%
- Respiratory Protection Devices (fastest-rising)
- -100%
- Scooters, Unpowered (fastest-improving)
Every figure is rendered live from the CPSC NEISS database, no AI summaries, no synthetic statistics.
The 10 most dangerous product categories
Ranked by PlainSafety danger score (0–100), which combines ER visit volume, hospitalization rate, and 5-year trend.
Volume vs. severity: why the ranking is not just a body count
The danger score above blends ER volume, hospitalization rate, and trend; this plots two of those inputs directly. The top-50 danger-score categories, positioned by 20-year injury count and per-incident severity independently.
Volume vs. severity among the top 50 danger-score categories
50 of the site's top-ranked categories by danger score
Most Dangerous Products
Highest danger scores based on injury volume, severity, and trends, among categories with at least 1,000 estimated ER visits a year (so the severity rate behind the score is statistically meaningful).
What this shows: the Injuries/yr bar sizes each product's estimated ER volume against this section's own leading product. Hover (or focus) a bar for its exact share and rank.
| # | Score | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 71 | General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 2 | 59 | Floors Or Flooring Materials Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 3 | 57 | Toilets Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 4 | 55 | Beds Or Bedframes, Other Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 5 | 54 | All Terrain Vehicles (# Of Wheels Unspecified/off Road) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 6 | 54 | Mopeds Or Power-assisted Cycles Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 7 | 52 | Crutches, Canes Or Walkers Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 8 | 52 | Massage Devices Or Vibrators Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 9 | 51 | Utility Vehicles Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 10 | 51 | Chairs, Other Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 11 | 51 | Stairs Or Steps Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 12 | 50 | Rugs Or Carpets, Not Specified Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 13 | 50 | Bathtubs Or Showers Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 14 | 49 | Bicycles And Accessories, (excl.mountain Or All-terrain) Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 15 | 49 | Ladders, Other Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 16 | 49 | Golf (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 17 | 49 | Recliner Chair Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 18 | 49 | Propane, Lp Or Butane Gas Tanks Or Fittings Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 19 | 48 | Two-wheeled, Powered, Off-road Vehicles Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 20 | 48 | Exercise (activity Or Apparel, W/o Equip) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 21 | 48 | Day Wear Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 22 | 48 | Scuba Diving (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 23 | 48 | Golf Carts, Motorized Vehicle Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 24 | 48 | Tractors, Other Or Not Specified, N.o.s. Farm & Dairy Equipment |
| 25 | 47 | Mountain Or All-terrain Bicycles And Accessories Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 26 | 47 | Tables (excl. Baby Changing Tables, Billiard Or Pool Tables Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 27 | 47 | Snow Skiing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 28 | 47 | Porches, Balconies, Open-side Floors Or Floor Openings Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 29 | 47 | Wheelchairs Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 30 | 47 | Bassinets Or Cradles Nursery & Baby Products |
| 31 | 47 | Lawn Mowers, Not Specified Lawn & Garden Equipment |
| 32 | 47 | Gasoline Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 33 | 47 | Sofas, Couches, Davenports, Divans Or Studio Couches Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 34 | 46 | All Terrain Vehicles (four Wheels/off Road Only) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 35 | 46 | Tablet Or Capsule Drugs Transportation & Substances |
| 36 | 46 | Ceilings And Walls (interior Part Of Completed Structure) Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 37 | 46 | Scaffolding Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 38 | 46 | First Aid Equipment Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 39 | 46 | Coins Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 40 | 46 | Footwear Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 41 | 46 | Swimming Pools, Not Specified Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 42 | 46 | Horseback Riding (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 43 | 46 | Blankets, Not Specified Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 44 | 45 | Exercise Equipment Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 45 | 45 | Doors, Other Or Not Specified Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 46 | 45 | Counters Or Countertops Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 47 | 45 | Pet Supplies Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 48 | 45 | Lighters, Not Specified Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 49 | 45 | Nightwear Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 50 | 45 | Snowmobiles (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
Safest Products
Lowest danger scores among tracked products with at least 1,000 estimated ER visits a year (so a thin sample cannot show up as artificially safe).
What this shows: the Injuries/yr bar sizes each product's estimated ER volume against this section's own leading product. Hover (or focus) a bar for its exact share and rank.
| # | Score | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Portable Power Workshop Grinders, Buffers, Polishers Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 2 | 27 | Power Workshop Grinders, Buffers, Polishers, N.s. Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 3 | 27 | Plastic Products, Not Specified Containers & Packaging |
| 4 | 27 | Tetherball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 5 | 27 | Plastic Products, Not Elsewhere Classified Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 6 | 29 | Drinking Fountains Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 7 | 29 | Art Supplies Or Equipment Home Structures & Construction Materials |
| 8 | 29 | Glue Guns Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 9 | 29 | Horseshoes (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 10 | 29 | Pogo Sticks Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 11 | 29 | Toy Sports Equipment Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 12 | 29 | Storm Windows Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 13 | 29 | School Equipment Footwear |
| 14 | 30 | Electric Baseboard Heaters Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 15 | 30 | Dishwashing Liquid Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 16 | 30 | Handball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 17 | 30 | Other Toy Weapons (nonprojectile) Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 18 | 30 | Other Manual Pruning Or Trimming Equipment Lawn & Garden Equipment |
| 19 | 30 | Ashtrays, Not Elec. Or Battery Or Not Specified Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 20 | 30 | Pull-down Or Folding Stairs Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 21 | 30 | Street Hockey (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 22 | 31 | Food Processors Kitchen Cooking Appliances |
| 23 | 31 | Nonmetal Cookware (nonelectric) Containers, Tableware & Packaging |
| 24 | 31 | Fireplace Equipment Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 25 | 31 | Convertible Beds, Hideaway Beds Or Sofa Beds Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 26 | 31 | Footlockers Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 27 | 31 | Fabric Treatment Products Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 28 | 31 | Solid Room Deodorizers Or Fresheners Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 29 | 31 | Glass Soft Drink Bottles Containers & Packaging |
| 30 | 31 | Wading Pools Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 31 | 31 | Costumes Or Masks Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 32 | 31 | Nonportable Cribs Nursery & Baby Products |
| 33 | 31 | Ear Protection Devices Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 34 | 31 | Hearing Aids Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 35 | 31 | Hair Clippers And Trimmers Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 36 | 31 | Futons Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 37 | 31 | Doll Houses And Other Play Scenes Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 38 | 31 | Pretend Electronics, Tools, Housewares & Appliances Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 39 | 32 | Boilers Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 40 | 32 | Knife Sharpeners, Not Specified Containers, Tableware & Packaging |
| 41 | 32 | Power Sanders Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 42 | 32 | Heavy-duty Workshop Staplers Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 43 | 32 | Ammonia, Household Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 44 | 32 | Oven Cleaners Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 45 | 32 | Abrasive Cleaners Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 46 | 32 | Liquid Room Deodorizers Or Fresheners Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 47 | 32 | Canning Jars Containers & Packaging |
| 48 | 32 | Swimming Pool Slides Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 49 | 32 | Nonwheeled Riding Toys, Unpowered Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 50 | 32 | Toy Guns, Not Specified Toys & Children's Recreation |
Fastest-Worsening Trends
Products with the largest injury increase over the past 5 years.
What this shows: the Injuries/yr bar sizes each product's estimated ER volume against this section's own leading product. Hover (or focus) a bar for its exact share and rank.
| # | Score | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39 | Respiratory Protection Devices Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 2 | 35 | Baby Slings And Wraps Nursery & Baby Products |
| 3 | 46 | First Aid Equipment Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 4 | 33 | Baby Rattles Nursery & Baby Products |
| 5 | 51 | Utility Vehicles Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 6 | 38 | Inflatable Toys Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 7 | 36 | Baby Carriers (bicycle-mounted) Nursery & Baby Products |
| 8 | 39 | Other Ranges Or Ovens Kitchen Cooking Appliances |
| 9 | 38 | Record Players (self-contained Units) Home Structures & Construction Materials |
| 10 | 54 | Mopeds Or Power-assisted Cycles Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 11 | 35 | Metal Or Plastic Molding Sets Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 12 | 38 | Hair Grooming Equipment Or Accessories, N.s. Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 13 | 34 | Toy Weapons, Not Specified Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 14 | 42 | Moving Walks Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 15 | 43 | Caustics Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 16 | 42 | Torches, Not Specified Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 17 | 41 | Battery Chargers/adapters Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 18 | 49 | Bedding, Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 19 | 37 | Brick, Stone Or Masonry Chimneys Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 20 | 47 | Thermostats (for Heating Or Cooling Systems) Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 21 | 41 | Unpowered Coffee Makers Or Teapots Containers, Tableware & Packaging |
| 22 | 38 | Unicycles, Unpowered Or Unspecified Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 23 | 47 | Mountain Or All-terrain Bicycles And Accessories Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 24 | 52 | Massage Devices Or Vibrators Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 25 | 38 | Children's Play Tents, Play Tunnels Or Other Enclosures Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 26 | 34 | Fuels For Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 27 | 40 | Artificial Turf Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 28 | 32 | Electric Can Openers Kitchen Cooking Appliances |
| 29 | 34 | Air Purifiers Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 30 | 42 | Other Grills Or Stoves Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 31 | 47 | Bassinets Or Cradles Nursery & Baby Products |
| 32 | 39 | Alcohol (beverage) Transportation & Substances |
| 33 | 37 | Heat Pumps Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 34 | 37 | Power Lathes Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 35 | 45 | Methyl Alcohol (solvent) Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 36 | 33 | Electric Griddles Kitchen Cooking Appliances |
| 37 | 42 | Minibikes, Powered Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 38 | 33 | Chemistry Sets Or Science Kits Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 39 | 35 | Manual Workshop Grinders, Buffers Or Polishers Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 40 | 48 | Tractors, Other Or Not Specified, N.o.s. Farm & Dairy Equipment |
| 41 | 43 | Lighting Equipment, Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 42 | 41 | Baby Bathtub Seats Or Rings (not Toys) Nursery & Baby Products |
| 43 | 45 | Lighters, Not Specified Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 44 | 47 | Snow Skiing (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 45 | 37 | Manual Hedge Trimmers Lawn & Garden Equipment |
| 46 | 38 | Toy Guns With Projectiles Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 47 | 31 | Fire Sprinklers Home Heating & Cooling Equipment |
| 48 | 41 | Baby Baths Or Bathinettes Nursery & Baby Products |
| 49 | 36 | Humidifiers Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 50 | 34 | Workshop Compounds Or Chemicals Home Communication & Entertainment |
Fastest-Improving Trends
Products with the largest injury decrease over the past 5 years.
What this shows: the Injuries/yr bar sizes each product's estimated ER volume against this section's own leading product. Hover (or focus) a bar for its exact share and rank.
| # | Score | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Scooters, Unpowered Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 2 | 25 | Baby Carriers Or Slings (backpacks) Nursery & Baby Products |
| 3 | 34 | Mobile Homes Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 4 | 33 | Scooters / Skateboards, Powered Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 5 | 31 | Nonportable Cribs Nursery & Baby Products |
| 6 | 21 | Floor Furnaces (built Into Floor) Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 7 | 35 | Cribs, Not Specified Nursery & Baby Products |
| 8 | 24 | Gas Clothes Dryers Without Washers Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 9 | 25 | Electric Water Heaters Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 10 | 35 | Lamp Oils Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 11 | 23 | Metal Chimneys, Stovepipes Or Flues Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 12 | 41 | Motorized Vehicles, Nec (3 Or More Wheels) Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 13 | 27 | Electric Clothes Dryers Without Washers Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 14 | 26 | Recording Tapes Home Structures & Construction Materials |
| 15 | 27 | Tetherball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 16 | 25 | Water Softeners Or Conditioners (appliances) Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 17 | 38 | Rotary Power Lawn Mowers Lawn & Garden Equipment |
| 18 | 24 | Electric Grills Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 19 | 29 | Drinking Fountains Laundry & Household Appliances |
| 20 | 31 | Waterbeds Or Water Pillows Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 21 | 22 | Manual Drills Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 22 | 30 | Handball (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 23 | 36 | Hoists, Lifts, Jacks Or Jack Stands Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 24 | 22 | Corkscrews Containers, Tableware & Packaging |
| 25 | 29 | Horseshoes (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 26 | 33 | Ball Sports (activity, Apparel Or Equipment), N.s. Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 27 | 22 | Nonelectric Knife Sharpeners Containers, Tableware & Packaging |
| 28 | 30 | Pull-down Or Folding Stairs Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 29 | 32 | All Terr. Veh. (more Than 4 Wheels; Exclusively Off-rd. Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 30 | 25 | Slingshots Or Sling-propelled Toys Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 31 | 26 | Batons Sports & Recreation Equipment |
| 32 | 29 | Pogo Sticks Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 33 | 29 | Toy Sports Equipment Toys & Children's Recreation |
| 34 | 26 | Wooden Matches Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 35 | 33 | Wood Burning Fireplaces, Factory Built Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 36 | 29 | Drain Snakes Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 37 | 29 | Video Players And Recorders (excl. Cameras) Home Structures & Construction Materials |
| 38 | 26 | Hacksaws Home Communication & Entertainment |
| 39 | 31 | Convertible Beds, Hideaway Beds Or Sofa Beds Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 40 | 34 | Clothing Irons Kitchen Cooking Appliances |
| 41 | 34 | Garden Tractors Lawn & Garden Equipment |
| 42 | 32 | Gas Furnaces Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 43 | 33 | Outdoor Antennas (separate) Home Structures & Construction Materials |
| 44 | 32 | Lockers Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 45 | 34 | Squash, Racquet Ball Or Paddle Ball Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 46 | 28 | Toddler Beds Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 47 | 24 | Dyes (noncosmetic) Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 48 | 35 | Bbs Or Pellets Transportation & Substances |
| 49 | 33 | Kerosene Or Oil Heaters Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 50 | 27 | Spot Removers Or Cleaning Fluids Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
Highest Hospitalization Rate
Share of ER visits leading to hospital admission, among categories with at least 1,000 estimated ER visits a year (so the rate is statistically meaningful).
What this shows: the Injuries/yr bar sizes each product's estimated ER volume against this section's own leading product. Hover (or focus) a bar for its exact share and rank.
| # | Score | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52 | Crutches, Canes Or Walkers Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 2 | 57 | Toilets Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 3 | 71 | General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 4 | 54 | All Terrain Vehicles (# Of Wheels Unspecified/off Road) Sports Protective Equipment & Gear |
| 5 | 52 | Massage Devices Or Vibrators Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 6 | 44 | Scales, Not Elec. Or Battery Or Not Specified Floors, Walls & Ceilings |
| 7 | 47 | Gasoline Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 8 | 44 | Tree Stands (hunting) Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 9 | 59 | Floors Or Flooring Materials Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 10 | 44 | Power-assisted Cycles, Not Elsewhere Classified Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment |
| 11 | 38 | Gas Or Lp Heaters, Other Or Not Specified Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares |
| 12 | 45 | Nightwear Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 13 | 41 | Gasoline Cans Home Workshop Tools & Equipment |
| 14 | 46 | Tablet Or Capsule Drugs Transportation & Substances |
| 15 | 45 | Lighters, Not Specified Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 16 | 49 | Recliner Chair Home Furnishings & Fixtures |
| 17 | 41 | Motorized Vehicles, Nec (3 Or More Wheels) Home Medical & Assistance Devices |
| 18 | 41 | Window Screens Building Materials & Home Structures |
| 19 | 41 | Cigarette Or Pipe Lighters Personal Care & Safety Products |
| 20 | 46 | Scaffolding Building Materials & Home Structures |
How to read these rankings
A high score means high risk across volume, severity, and trend, not a single bad statistic.
- Start with the highest-volume categories - General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires and Floors Or Flooring Materials - if you have young children or older adults at home. General Home Or Room Involvement In Fires profile
- Watch the fastest-worsening list: a rising 5-year trend can flag an emerging hazard before it tops the volume charts. Worsening trends
- Cross-check any product against open CPSC recalls before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS figures are national estimates from a probability sample of ER visits, not a count of every injury; they show relative risk between products, not your personal odds.
Data: CPSC NEISS 2005–2024. Danger scores (0–100) combine injury volume, hospitalization rate, fatality rate, and 5-year trend. See our methodology for how each figure is derived and why NEISS estimates carry confidence intervals.