Magnet Sets & Small Strong Magnets
Spot it
Desk-toy sets of small loose magnetic balls, cubes or rods; magnetic jewelry or 'fake piercing' studs; magnet sets from an older sibling's room or a desk drawer; strong magnets in a fridge, whiteboard or toy that has come apart.
Fix it
CPSC's rule (16 CFR part 1262, effective October 21, 2022) sets a strength (flux index) limit on loose or separable magnets small enough to be swallowed in products designed, marketed or intended for entertainment, jewelry, mental stimulation or stress relief. It applies to products manufactured after that date, exempts toys covered by the ASTM F963 toy standard, and excludes products sold solely to educators, researchers and professionals. It does not recall magnets already in homes, so a set bought before late 2022, or secondhand, may be as strong as the ones that caused the injuries. From CPSC's magnets safety page (a separate page from the stat source): "Magnets go in easier than they come out. Keep small magnets away from children." Swallowed magnets attract each other inside the body, and several can look like one object on an X-ray; get immediate medical attention if you suspect they were swallowed, and watch for abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Telling the hospital it was a magnet is our suggestion.
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Find every small-magnet set and magnetic jewelry item in the house and lock it away or retire itHabit
Free; the rule applies to new products, not the ones already here
Give older siblings a lidded box or locked drawer for magnetsHabit
Free; toddlers reach older siblings' things (our toddler-guide checklist item)
Count the pieces after play; if any is missing, find itHabit
A missing magnet is the case that ends in an ER visit (our reading)
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.
Sources cited
Sources
- CPSC counted about 26,600 emergency-department-treated magnet ingestions (magnets of all types) from 2010 through 2021; about 5,000 (20%) of those patients were hospitalized or transferred — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (incl. SaferProducts.gov), 2022 (how we check this source)
Every source we cite is checked against our criteria first — see how we check our sources.
Related checks
- Button Batteries & Magnets at Toddler Height — Small fridge magnets and battery-door hazards at toddler height are covered in the kitchen.