Hand tools · #33 of 45 by ER visits

Chisels, awls & planes: injury statistics

Edge tools for paring and shaping wood. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 4,090 emergency room visits in the US.

Chisels, awls & planes
Photo: drscythe / Unsplash
4,090
ER visits in 2025
1.9%
admitted or transferred
-18%
change since 2016
11%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 70 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 5,00116’2017: 4,30817’2018: 3,33718’2019: 2,53619’2020: 3,33220’2021: 3,24921’2022: 3,14422’2023: 2,76123’2024: 2,95524’2025: 4,09025’

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Laceration75%
Foreign body4.9%
Avulsion4.2%
Puncture3.6%
Other3.4%
Contusion or abrasion3.0%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Finger54%
Hand25%
Wrist3.8%
Eye3.7%
Lower arm3.3%
Lower leg2.3%

Age of injured people

90% male · 2021–2025

0-40.0%
5-145.2%
15-2415%
25-4440%
45-6429%
65-746.3%
75+4.9%

Real cases

From NEISS case narratives, 2024–2025. Abbreviations expanded.

40-year-old male was using a hammer and chisel and piece of metal went into his right knee — diagnosis: Foreign body right knee.
53-year-old male using a sharp chisel like tool to work on a speaker when it slipped and cut his leg — diagnosis: Right leg laceration.
20-year-old male was doing woodworking and the chisel slipped and knicked his left middle finer resulting in a laceration. — diagnosis: Finger laceration.
55-year-old male was using a chisel on wood when apparently a piece of metal broke off and struck him in the left arm. — diagnosis: Puncture wound of left forearm, foreign body in left forearm, arm laceration.
Recalls

Recalls of chisels, awls & planes

No CPSC recalls matched this tool type since 2010. Search all recalls.

Questions

How many people are injured by chisels, awls & planes each year?

About 4,090 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving chisels, awls & planes in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 3,240 a year.

What are the most common injuries from chisels, awls & planes?

Laceration is the most common diagnosis (75% of cases 2021–2025), and the finger is the most often injured body part (54%).

How often do injuries from chisels, awls & planes need hospital admission?

1.9% of ER visits ended with the patient admitted or transferred to another hospital in 2021–2025.

About these numbers

National estimates from the CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), product code 870. A case is counted if the tool appears in any of its three product fields. Estimates under 1,200 or based on fewer than 20 cases are flagged. Methodology · CSV

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