Power tools · #19 of 45 by ER visits

Welding equipment: injury statistics

Arc, MIG and TIG welders and their accessories. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 14,509 emergency room visits in the US.

Welding equipment
Photo: roblambertjr / Unsplash
14,509
ER visits in 2025
3.0%
admitted or transferred
+9%
change since 2016
6%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 238 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 13,34016’2017: 13,74917’2018: 9,92818’2019: 9,19719’2020: 7,12220’2021: 9,02121’2022: 11,01422’2023: 9,72123’2024: 13,32824’2025: 14,50925’
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Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Radiation burn38%
Foreign body19%
Contusion or abrasion13%
Thermal burn10%
Other9.9%
Laceration2.8%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Eye73%
Finger4.6%
Hand3.1%
Face2.7%
Lower leg2.3%
All of body1.7%

Age of injured people

95% male · 2021–2025

0-40.2%
5-141.1%
15-2428%
25-4441%
45-6423%
65-744.3%
75+1.9%

Real cases

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

34-year-old male patient complains of welder's flash, feels like he has sandpaper in eyes no — diagnosis:.
20-year-old male injured eyes while welding this afternoon. — diagnosis:-photkeratitis both eyes.
31-year-old female, coming in after a fire broke out in her house when another resident was welding their motorcycle, causing her to have to jump from second story window, landed onto buttocks, complaining of left hip pain, unknown if fire department at.
19-year-old male, complains of right eye pain/irritation, was welding yesterday when had some debris flew into eyes, — diagnosis: Abrasion of right cornea.
Recalls

Recalls of welding equipment

2 since 2010
Harris Products Group Recalls Welding Torch Handles Due to Fire Hazard2014-07-31 · FireWelding equipmentWire Feed Welders Recalled by Star Asia USA Due to Burn Hazard2010-07-13 · FireWelding equipment

Questions

How many people are injured by welding equipment each year?

About 14,509 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving welding equipment in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 11,519 a year.

What are the most common injuries from welding equipment?

Radiation burn is the most common diagnosis (38% of cases 2021–2025), and the eye is the most often injured body part (73%).

How often do injuries from welding equipment need hospital admission?

3.0% 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 896. 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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