Lawn & garden · #26 of 45 by ER visits

Log splitters: injury statistics

Hydraulic and kinetic log splitters. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 7,482 emergency room visits in the US.

Log splitters
Photo: anaspata / Unsplash
7,482
ER visits in 2025
5.9%
admitted or transferred
-8%
change since 2016
36%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 124 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 8,10516’2017: 7,23617’2018: 7,50618’2019: 8,70519’2020: 7,38020’2021: 6,62721’2022: 8,21822’2023: 7,40723’2024: 7,50224’2025: 7,48225’
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Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Laceration29%
Fracture25%
Amputation10%
Crushing8.2%
Contusion or abrasion7.2%
Other6.0%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Finger66%
Hand9.9%
Lower trunk3.8%
Lower arm2.4%
Upper trunk2.4%
Lower leg2.3%

Age of injured people

84% male · 2021–2025

0-40.5%
5-144.2%
15-2411%
25-4419%
45-6430%
65-7423%
75+12%

Real cases

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

87-year-old male presents to the er with hip pain. Patient states he was in his yard splitting wood and when he bent down to pick some up he felt a pop. — diagnosis: Closed posterior dislocation of r hip.
66-year-old male was splitting wood and injured finger. — diagnosis: Right ring finger laceration.
57-year-old male presents with hand pain after using a hydraulic log splitter same day. — diagnosis: Crushing injury of finger.
45-year-old male using a log splitter and hit finger. — diagnosis: Crush injury, finger.
Recalls

Recalls of log splitters

6 since 2010
Oregon Tool Recalls Log Splitters and Cylinder Kits Due to Injury Hazards2024-04-25Log splittersBriggs & Stratton Recalls YTL, Longli and TIYA Log Splitters with Briggs & Stratton® Engines Due to Injury Hazard2021-05-12Log splittersBriggs & Stratton Recalls YTL Log Splitters with Briggs & Stratton Engines Due to Injury Hazard (Recall Alert)2021-03-18Log splittersYTL International Recalls Log Splitters Due to Injury Hazard (Recall Alert)2018-11-13Log splittersSpeeCo® and Woods® Recall 4-Way Wedge Accessory for Log Splitters Due to Impact Injury Hazard2018-03-22 · ImpactLog splittersChangzhou Globe Tool Group Recalls Electric Log Splitters Due to Laceration or Amputation Hazard; Firm to Provide Additional On-Product Warnings; Sold Exclusively at Lowe's Stores2011-07-07 · Laceration, AmputationLog splitters

Questions

How many people are injured by log splitters each year?

About 7,482 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving log splitters in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 7,447 a year.

What are the most common injuries from log splitters?

Laceration is the most common diagnosis (29% of cases 2021–2025), and the finger is the most often injured body part (66%).

How often do injuries from log splitters need hospital admission?

5.9% 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 1457. 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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