Hazard Registry Safety Score — Product Category Risk Ratings

How Safe Is That Product Category? Check the Data.

The Hazard Registry Safety Score is a data-driven risk assessment for consumer product categories. Unlike product reviews that test performance, our score measures something most consumers never see: how frequently products in that category get recalled, how severe the hazards are, and how many units are typically affected.

Whether you’re buying new, accepting hand-me-downs, or checking products you already own — the Safety Score gives you an instant read on the risk landscape for that product type.

📊 How the Score Works

Each product category receives a score from 1 (lowest risk) to 10 (highest risk) based on four weighted factors:

• Recall Frequency (30%) — How often products in this category get recalled relative to other categories
• Hazard Severity (40%) — The seriousness of the hazard: death risk scores higher than property damage
• Unit Volume (15%) — How many individual products are affected across all recalls in the category
• Recency (15%) — More recent recalls weigh heavier than older ones

🔴 Highest-Risk Categories

Baby Loungers & Infant Sleepers — Suffocation risk. Multiple deaths linked to this product category. View all children’s product recalls →

Dressers & Freestanding Furniture — Tip-over risk. Disproportionately affects children under 6. Free wall-anchor kits available for most recalled models.

Button Battery Products — Ingestion risk. Can cause fatal internal chemical burns within 2 hours if swallowed by a child.

🟡 Moderate-Risk Categories

Portable Power Banks & Chargers — Fire and burn risk from lithium-ion battery failure. View electronics recalls →

Space Heaters & Air Purifiers — Fire risk from electrical faults. View appliance recalls →

Youth Helmets — Head injury risk from failure to meet impact standards.

🟢 Lower-Risk Categories

Outdoor Power Equipment — Laceration risk, but lower frequency and typically adult users. View outdoor recalls →

Food Products — Contamination risk varies by type. View food & drug recalls →

Using the Safety Score

The Safety Score is designed for three scenarios:

1. Pre-purchase research — Know the risk landscape before you buy. Higher-risk categories deserve more scrutiny: check the specific brand’s recall history before purchasing.
2. Hand-me-down verification — Secondhand baby gear and furniture should be checked against active recalls before use. Our model number guides help you find the identifiers you need.
3. Household audit — Walk through your home and check products in high-risk categories against our database. Start with your nursery and kitchen.

Safety Scores are updated monthly as new recall data is published by the CPSC and NHTSA. Last updated: May 2026.