1. Manholes
Imagine walking down the street, minding your own business, when all of a sudden you find yourself plummeting down into the depths of a sewer! It might sound like an exaggeration, but in 2011 manholes caused 1,843 deaths in India alone!
2. Hot Tubs
You might want to reconsider spending a relaxing afternoon in a hot tub every once in a while. This is because between 1999 and 2003 around 1,700 Americans ended up dying in a hot tub. Most of these cases involved people overindulging in alcoholic drinks while in a hot tub. Why not consider just taking a hot bath instead?
3. Beds
It might sound bizarre, but our warm and cozy beds are actually responsible for killing an average of 737 Americans a year, usually because they have fallen out. In fact, your bed is more likely to kill you than a terrorist is!
4. Electric Blankets
It's not just your bed that can kill you, but your bedding may have it in for you too! In fact, electric blankets are so deadly that they cause around 20 deaths and 5,000 fires each year.
5. Escalators
You'll find them in most shopping malls around the world, and they're secretly out to get you! According to the CDC, escalators grievously injure approximately 17,000 people each year, from which around 30 will lose their lives.
6. Vending Machines
In the years between 1978 and 1995, a total of 37 people lost their lives while using vending machines, making it an average of 2.18 vending machine-related deaths per year. In fact, you're more likely to be killed by a vending machine than by a shark.
7. Aerosol Cans
Aerosol cans are really useful if you want to get rid of an infestation of insects or if you need to add a coat of paint or varnish to your furniture. However, you need to be really careful when using them, since many people have been killed through explosions of the inhalation of toxic fumes.
8. Magnets
Magnets actually pose a serious health risk to most households, since if swallowed by a child, they can end up tearing the lining of the intestines, which usually leads to grievous internal damage, and possibly even death.
9. Headphones
Headphones can be indirect but deadly killers since they often make you far less aware of your surroundings, which is why accidents involving people wearing headphones can often be fatal. In 2010 alone, there were a grand total of 47 deaths related to headphone use.
10. Baseballs
In the years between 1987 and 1996, thirteen Little League players lost their lives tragically after being struck by a baseball. In one case, a seven-year-old player died on the spot after being hit in the chest with a baseball.
11. Snow
While snow is one of the most beautiful gifts of nature, it can also be one of the most dangerous. In fact, researchers found that between 1990 and 2006 there were 1,647 fatal heart attacks that were caused by people shoveling snow.
12. Christmas Trees
Another beautiful-yet-deadly item on this list is the Christmas tree since they have been found to cause around 200 house fires each year, leaving approximately six people dead. Make sure to keep heaters and candles well away from Christmas trees, since they can catch fire a lot faster than you might expect.
13. Hot Dogs
Many people love to chow down on a nice big hot dog every once in a while, but you should be aware that hot dogs aren't really all fun and games. This is because, in 2010 alone, over 10,000 kids under the age of 14 ended up in the emergency room after choking on a hot dog, with 77 of them sadly passing away.
14. Flip-Flops
Wearing flips flops is a great way to keep your feet cool when it's hot outside, but it's also an effective way of getting yourself injured or killed, too! This is because it's a lot easier to lose your footing and stumble when wearing flip-flops. In one tragic case, a man fell 100 feet to his death while visiting Glacier National Park.
15. Sun Umbrellas
While sun umbrellas are great for protecting you from the sun's harmful rays, they can also turn into killing machines on a windy day. This is because sun umbrellas have to potential to injure or kill through impalement or blunt trauma when they are swept away by a sudden gust of wind.
