2021-27826: Safety Standard for Magnets

Summary

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) has determined preliminarily that there is an unreasonable risk of injury and death, particularly to children and teens, associated with ingestion of one or more high-powered magnets. To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule, under the Consumer Product Safety Act, to apply 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 contain one or more loose or separable magnets. Toys that are subject to CPSC's mandatory toy standard are exempt from the proposed rule. Each loose or separable magnet in a product that is subject to the proposed rule and that fits entirely within CPSC's small parts cylinder would be required to have a flux index of less than 50 kG\2\ mm\2\. The Commission requests comments about all aspects of this notice, including the risk of injury, the proposed scope and requirements, alternatives to the proposed rule, and the economic impacts of the proposed rule and alternatives.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 2 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 16 CFR 1112 Requirements Pertaining to Third Party Conformity Assessment Bodies
• 16 CFR 1262 Safety Standard for Magnets