safety standard for magnet sets 21 pages english based on available data the u.s. consumer product safety commission the commission the cpsc or we has determined preliminarily that there may be an unreasonable risk of injury associated with children ingesting high-powered magnets that are part of magnet sets. these magnet sets are aggregations of separable permanent magnetic objects intended or marketed by the manufacturer primarily as a manipulative or construction desk toy for general entertainment such as puzzle working sculpture building mental stimulation or stress relief. in contrast to ingesting other small parts when a child ingests a magnet the magnetic properties of the object can cause serious life-threatening injuries. when children ingest two or more of the magnets the magnetic forces pull the magnets together and the magnets pinch or tra the intestinal walls or other digestive tissue between them resulting in acute and long-term health consequences. although magnet sets have only been available since 2008 we have determined that an estimated 1 700 ingestions of magnets from magnet sets were treated in emergency departments between 1 january 2009 and 31 december 2011. to address the unreasonable risks of serious injury associated with these magnet sets the commission is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking npr which would prohibit such magnet sets. under the proposal if a magnet set contains a magnet that fits within the cpscs small parts cylinder magnets from that set would be required to have a flux index of 50 or less or they would be prohibited. the flux index would be determined by the method described in astm f963-11 standard consumer safety specification for toy safety. the commission solicits written comments concerning the risks of injury associated with these magnet sets the regulatory alternatives discussed in this npr other possible ways to address these risks and the economic impacts of the various regulatory alternatives. this proposed rule is issued under the authority of the consumer product safety act cpsa .