FAIRFIELD, N.J. -- The rule, designated 16 CFR 1240, was published in the Federal Register 3 October 2014 and becomes effective 1 April 2015 (2). It applies to magnet sets and individual magnets as defined in table 1 within the latest Safeguards bulletin. (http://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewsletterPro/uploadedimages/000006/sgs-safeguards-17514-us-cpsc-magnet-sets-a4-en-14.pdf)
Under the rule, each magnet in a magnet set, and any individual magnet that fits within the CPSC’s small parts cylinder (re: 16 CFR 1501.4), must have a flux index of 50 kG² mm² or less. The test method for determining the flux index is cited as that defined in ASTM F963-11, sections 8.24.1 through 8.24.3.
Risks of Magnet Sets for Entertainment Purposes
Magnet sets marketed for general entertainment first appeared in 2009, and the CPSC reported the first consumer incident in February 2010. Since then, the Commission has determined that about 2,900 cases of ingestion of magnets from magnet sets were treated in emergency departments between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2013. The first reported consumer incident of ingestion, involving the surgical removal of magnets that had been part of a magnet set, was in December 2010. In addition, the Commission has received one report of a death involving magnet sets.
The new rule addresses the risk of injury resulting from swallowing one or more small, powerful magnets from a magnet set (or one magnet and a magnetic object such as a steel ball or similar). When two magnets are ingested intestinal tissue may become trapped between them, damaging intestinal tissue. Ingestion of magnets and ensuing injuries can be very difficult to diagnose and treat because many doctors are unfamiliar with the risks of magnet ingestion, and the symptoms often appear similar to less serious conditions, such as influenza.
References:
(1) CPSC on magnet sets (http://www.cpsc.gov/Regulations-Laws--Standards/Rulemakin...)
(2) Safety Standard for Magnet Sets (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/10/03/2014-...)
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