Consumer Product Safety Commission

Consumer Product Safety Commission

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) carried out an nvestigation of reported finger injuries, including amputations, and the characteristics of domestic paper shredders that might have contributed to those injuries. The National Electronics Injury Surveillance System (NIESS) database collected 23 reported finger injuries attributable to domestic paper shredders. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 months upwards. Of the 23 reported finger injuries caused by a domestic paper shredder mechanism, fifteen involved children aged 5 years and under. However, finger injuries from domestic paper shredders have been reported in victims of 20 years old and even 65 years old. This report was published in
December 2004.

The most severe injuries, amputations, involved children. Injury occurred even when a child was feeding paper into a
shredder under adult supervision but did not release the paper in time to prevent their fingers from entering the shredder
opening. As the paper shredder continued to pull the paper into the shredder opening, it also pulled in the children’s
fingers.

Since most paper shredders have auto start features, a child can be at risk even when an adult is present. A child may
insert a piece of paper into the shredder opening and activate the shredder mechanism, allowing it to pull the paper (and
possibly the child’s fingers) into the shredder. Children are not conscious of hazards to themselves and may not let go of
the paper as it is being pulled in.