Hand tools · #29 of 45 by ER visits

Screwdrivers: injury statistics

Manual screwdrivers. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 5,921 emergency room visits in the US.

Screwdrivers
Photo: steve_j / Unsplash
5,921
ER visits in 2025
4.7%
admitted or transferred
-9%
change since 2016
12%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 121 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 6,52616’2017: 7,16817’2018: 6,33518’2019: 5,10419’2020: 5,41820’2021: 4,62121’2022: 5,73122’2023: 4,86223’2024: 5,28124’2025: 5,92125’

Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Puncture31%
Laceration27%
Other13%
Contusion or abrasion10%
Foreign body5.6%
Strain or sprain4.0%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Hand35%
Finger21%
Eye10.0%
Lower trunk4.2%
Face4.1%
Foot2.7%

Age of injured people

80% male · 2021–2025

0-44.1%
5-142.5%
15-2411%
25-4437%
45-6433%
65-747.9%
75+4.1%

Real cases

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

23-year-old male accidently poked self in eye with screwdriver — diagnosis: Cornea abrasion.
67-year-old male was using a screwdriver when he accidentally punctured his left index finger — diagnosis: Puncture wound to finger.
47-year-old male accidently stabbed self in hand with screwdriver being stupid while drunk, didnt seek medical care — diagnosis: Left hand pain.
34-year-old male accidentally struck himself in the left hand with a screwdriver — diagnosis: Puncture wound of left hand.
Recalls

Recalls of screwdrivers

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

Questions

How many people are injured by screwdrivers each year?

About 5,921 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving screwdrivers in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 5,283 a year.

What are the most common injuries from screwdrivers?

Puncture is the most common diagnosis (31% of cases 2021–2025), and the hand is the most often injured body part (35%).

How often do injuries from screwdrivers need hospital admission?

4.7% 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 828. 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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