Rankings
The most dangerous power tools, ranked (2025 data)
Ten power tools ranked by US emergency room visits, with the main injury for each.
Photo: heberdavisphotography / Unsplash
Ranking by raw ER visits mostly reflects how many people use a tool, not how risky each use is. Even so, it shows where injuries actually happen. These are the ten power tools with the most estimated ER visits in 2025.
| Tool | ER visits 2025 | Top injury | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grinders, buffers & polishers | 40,246 | Laceration | 3.3% |
| Other power saws (miter, tile, unspecified) | 33,665 | Laceration | 6.9% |
| Table saws | 31,444 | Laceration | 7.7% |
| Power drills | 24,129 | Laceration | 3.4% |
| Paint sprayers | 14,511 | Other | 12.4% |
| Welding equipment | 14,509 | Radiation burn | 3.0% |
| Circular saws | 10,961 | Laceration | 10.2% |
| Nail guns | 10,860 | Puncture | 8.2% |
| Other power tools | 3,409 | Laceration | 7.3% |
| Air compressors | 2,896 | Laceration | 11.3% |
What stands out
Saws dominate, and their injuries are mostly cuts and amputations to the fingers. Grinders cause many eye injuries from flying particles and broken wheels. Welding and soldering injuries are mostly burns and eye injuries.
See the full ranking and the tools with the highest hospital admission rate.