Lawn & garden · #11 of 45 by ER visits

Shovels, rakes & garden hand tools: injury statistics

Unpowered garden tools. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 27,539 emergency room visits in the US.

Shovels, rakes & garden hand tools
Photo: steinman_photography / Unsplash
27,539
ER visits in 2025
8.1%
admitted or transferred
+4%
change since 2016
35%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 545 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 26,37316’2017: 26,54517’2018: 26,49918’2019: 23,25219’2020: 21,54520’2021: 17,80821’2022: 18,50922’2023: 19,78823’2024: 22,63724’2025: 27,53925’

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Other34%
Laceration18%
Strain or sprain12%
Puncture7.2%
Contusion or abrasion6.9%
Fracture6.8%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Lower trunk15%
Upper trunk12%
Head9.3%
Foot9.2%
Shoulder6.6%
Face6.3%

Age of injured people

63% male · 2021–2025

0-42.8%
5-147.9%
15-246.8%
25-4420%
45-6428%
65-7418%
75+17%

Real cases

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

4-year-old male outside raking leaves with father, developed asthma attack, — diagnosis: Asthma attack.
78-year-old female jammed right great toe while using shovel in her yard. — diagnosis: Laceration toe.
25-year-old female, accidentally got hit to the head with a shovel by her daughter, no loss of consciousness, reports difficulty focusing and headache, — diagnosis: Concussion without loss of consciousness.
65-year-old female injured hip while using garden tool — diagnosis: Pain.
Recalls

Recalls of shovels, rakes & garden hand tools

1 since 2010
Mammut Sports Group Recalls Alugator Ride 3.0 Hoe and Alugator Ride SE Avalanche Shovels Due to Risk of Injury or Death2023-04-06Shovels, rakes & garden hand tools

Questions

How many people are injured by shovels, rakes & garden hand tools each year?

About 27,539 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving shovels, rakes & garden hand tools in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 21,256 a year.

What are the most common injuries from shovels, rakes & garden hand tools?

Other is the most common diagnosis (34% of cases 2021–2025), and the lower trunk is the most often injured body part (15%).

How often do injuries from shovels, rakes & garden hand tools need hospital admission?

8.1% 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 1403. 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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