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Risks and injuries from the product
Small high-powered magnets are dangerous if children swallow more than one magnet as they can stick together.
These can damage the walls of the child's intestine or digestive tissue, leading to serious internal injuries including tissue death, infection or sepsis, and death. These magnets also pose a choking hazard to young children.
Symptoms may be difficult for carers and doctors to recognise. An x-ray is needed to see if magnets were swallowed, and to diagnose the cause of a related illness.
Products the ban applies to
Magnets that are separate, loose, or supplied in multiples of two or more and meet all the following criteria are banned.
- Are small enough to fit into the small parts cylinder, which is a device used for testing in Australian and international toy standards.
- Have a magnetic flux index greater than 50 (kG)2 mm2.
- Are marketed by the supplier as, or supplied for use as any of the following:
- a toy, game or puzzle
- a construction or modelling kit
- jewellery to be worn in or around the mouth or nose.
View the full details of this ban at Consumer Protection Notice No. 5 of 2012.
Penalties for supplying banned products
Supplying a banned product can result in the ACCC taking action. This may result in a:
- fine
- court enforceable undertaking
- disqualification from being a company director
- court action with penalties
- product recall.