CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for Magnets to Prevent Deaths and Serious Injuries from High-Powered Magnet Ingestion
Background:
As described in our earlier newsletter (Issue no.: 32/22/TCD), Reese’s Law was signed by US President to Strengthen Safety on Button Batteries, and under this law, the CPSC was required to establish a product safety standard with respect to button batteries that pose an ingestion hazard, and consumer products containing them.
Now then, on 2022-09-07, the CPSC voted to approve a new federal safety standard for magnets, to reduce the risk of children and teens experiencing serious, even life-threatening injuries from swallowing dangerous, small high-powered magnets.
Requirements:
The new mandatory federal standard requires loose or separable magnets in certain magnet products to be either too large to swallow, or weak enough to reduce the risk of internal injuries when swallowed; Specifically, if the magnets fit in a small parts cylinder, then they must have a flux index of less than 50 kG2 mm2.
Scope:
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Applies to |
Consumer products that are designed, marketed, or intended to be used for entertainment, jewelry (including children’s jewelry), mental stimulation, stress relief, or a combination of these purposes, and that contains one or more loose or separable magnet. |
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Does not include
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Products sold and/or distributed solely to school educators, researchers, professionals, and/or commercial or industrial users exclusively for educational, research, professional, commercial, and/or industrial purposes. |
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Toys for children under 14 years old, because the CPSC’s mandatory toy standard (16 CFR parts 1250) already covers such products. |
Effective Date:
It becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register for magnet products manufactured after that date.
References:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2022/CPSC-Approves-New-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-Magnets-to-Prevent-Deaths-and-Serious-Injuries-from-High-Powered-Magnet-Ingestion
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr5313/BILLS-117hr5313enr.pdf
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