ASTM Int'l Toy Safety Standard - ASTM F 963 - Addresses Magnet Ingestion Injuries
May 10, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products addressed recent incidents of magnet ingestion resulting in death or serious injury in a major new revision to ASTM F 963 - Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.
In several cases, children swallowed small magnets that were built into toys or were part of a building play set with small parts intended for older children.
At least one child died and others were injured when swallowed magnets attracted across tissue within the child's body causing intestinal twisting and perforation.
The revision to ASTM F 963 requires that magnets and magnetic components be reliably contained within a toy or carry a warning describing the dangers posed by functional small ingestible magnets.
ASTM F 963 relates to possible hazards that may not be recognized readily by the public and that may be encountered in the normal use for which a toy is intended or after reasonably foreseeable abuse. The standard covers requirements and contains test methods for toys intended for use by children under 14 years of age.
In addition to the section addressing magnets, other recent revisions made to ASTM F 963 include:
- The addition of safety requirements and test methods for yo-yo elastic tether toys.
- The addition of requirements related to cord, straps and elastics.
- Revisions to sections that address packaging film, age requirements as they pertain to use and abuse testing and hemispheric shaped objects.
ASTM F 963 is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Subcommittee F15.22 on Toy Safety, a 150-person subcommittee comprised of manufacturers, retailers, safety consultants, consumers and representatives of testing laboratories, academic institutions and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Source: ASTM International.