Lawn & garden · #12 of 45 by ER visits

Pruning tools: injury statistics

Pole saws, pruners, loppers and lawn shears. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 25,357 emergency room visits in the US.

Pruning tools
Photo: ageing_better / Unsplash
25,357
ER visits in 2025
11%
admitted or transferred
-23%
change since 2016
39%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 515 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 32,82516’2017: 32,05517’2018: 25,45318’2019: 19,97819’2020: 22,46120’2021: 18,96521’2022: 24,08522’2023: 21,07323’2024: 26,21224’2025: 25,35725’

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Laceration47%
Fracture14%
Other11%
Contusion or abrasion8.5%
Internal injury5.2%
Strain or sprain2.9%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Finger39%
Upper trunk7.4%
Head7.0%
Eye6.9%
Hand6.0%
Lower trunk5.5%

Age of injured people

68% male · 2021–2025

0-40.2%
5-141.8%
15-244.8%
25-4421%
45-6433%
65-7421%
75+18%

Real cases

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

65-year-old male brought in by air as a level 2 trauma after patient had a fall off of a loading truck -> 20 feet. Patient was raised up on the truck lift to cut limbs on a tree. Patient denies loss of consciousness. Has an obvious deformity to the le.
27-year-old male cut his finger using hedge trimmers. — diagnosis: Laceration finger.
54-year-old female was clipping rosebushes in her garden this afternoon and then developed swelling of the joints of her hand with some swelling and itching. — diagnosis: Contact dermatitis of hand.
80-year-old male struck his hand on a heavy tool while doing yard work. Later, had hand pain while he was trimming bushes. — diagnosis: Hand pain.
Recalls

Recalls of pruning tools

5 since 2010
Positec Recalls Electric Corded Chainsaws and Pole Saws Due to Laceration Hazard2025-07-03 · LacerationPruning toolsFiskars Brands Recalls 16 Foot Pole Saw/Pruners Due to Laceration Hazard2020-12-09 · Laceration, FallPruning toolsKobalt Cordless Electric Pole Saws Sold Exclusively at Lowe's Stores Recalled Due to Laceration Hazard; Distributed by Hongkong Sun Rise Trading2020-09-23 · LacerationPruning toolsAdditional Injuries Prompt Reannouncement of Fiskars Recall of Bypass Lopper Shears Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Home Depot2016-03-28 · LacerationPruning toolsFiskars Recalls Bypass Lopper Shears Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Home Depot2014-10-08 · LacerationPruning tools

Questions

How many people are injured by pruning tools each year?

About 25,357 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving pruning tools in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 23,139 a year.

What are the most common injuries from pruning tools?

Laceration is the most common diagnosis (47% of cases 2021–2025), and the finger is the most often injured body part (39%).

How often do injuries from pruning tools need hospital admission?

11.3% 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 codes 1447, 1453, 1454, 1455, 1456, 1450. 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

Related tools

Shovels, rakes & garden hand tools27,539Chain saws29,535Snow shovels29,763Riding mowers & garden tractors16,479