Surprising number of injuries from used pallets, researchers note Updated Dec 16, 2020; Posted Dec 16, 2020 Injuries arising from secondary uses of pallets in store displays and home DIY projects are revealed in a new Penn State study. (W. Carter photo) Facebook Share Used shipping pallets – the raw material for a million home DIY projects, kindling for countless fire in home fireplaces and the bases for in-store displays everywhere – sent more than 30,000 people to emergency rooms over a recent 5-year period. About 400 million new wooden pallets are produced annually in the U.S., with about 2 billion in use in the shipping chain at any given time.