Objective Heavy duty staples are used for many purposes in industry. Children can be exposed to open staples in homes with carpets, boxes, staple guns (applicators) and worn furniture. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of staple-related injury among children in the USA from 2002 to 2006.

Method Data were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for staple-related injuries among children 0–14 years of age. NEISS provides data from selected emergency rooms throughout the USA. Analysis included frequencies and χ² analysis.

Results Analysis revealed 66 cases of injury to children related to industrial staples. There were an estimated 2107 injuries reported in the USA between 2002 and 2006 related to industrial staples. A majority of the cases were male, aged 6–10 years, and occurred in the home environment. Most injuries were lacerations to the fingers and arms. The source of the staples came mainly from furniture, boxes, staple guns and carpets.

Conclusion The study reveals that children are injured when exposed to staples that are open in boxes, carpets and furniture. There are alternative methods to use when manufacturing boxes and furniture, such as glue. It is recommended that alternative methods for carpets, furniture and boxes be pursued to limit hazards and injury that could be preventable. In most cases the injury was minor, but there still exists a burden on the healthcare system for a hazard that could be replaced with updated technology.