An X-ray image taken in 2017 of a 2-year-old boy with 16 high-powered magnets in his intestines. By Todd C. Frankel Todd C.
Problems with voluntary safety standards extend beyond magnets, critics say, to other children’s products, including infant inclined sleepers, crib bumpers and furniture at risk of toppling over. In many cases, the CPSC can’t act until the voluntary standards have proved inadequate. The magnet makers wanted to rely on written warnings and packaging designs to curb accidental ingestions, according to emails and committee conference calls.
And safety advocates had been struggling for years to get furniture manufacturers to agree to stricter voluntary standards aimed at preventing furniture tip-overs, a problem responsible for the deaths of at least 200 children since 2000. Under pressure from victims’ families, industry officials finally tightened the standard earlier this year.
“This is one of the most dangerous products on the market,” said Rudolph, the pediatric gastroenterologist who participated in the standards process. “No one is discounting the severity of the injuries,” Nord said in an interview. “But the question is, how do you address the problem?” The sudden loss of the 2016 ban left no regulations in place on high-powered magnets. Qu thought this was a problem.
The process for creating voluntary safety standards for most consumer products is handled through ASTM International, an organization that helps develop technical standards for thousands of products. ASTM officials said that the organization emphasizes a consensus approach designed to allow all parties a chance to influence the outcome.
But the number of voters is fluid. It can change as people join or leave the committee, according to ASTM officials. And ASTM said it does not share the voting roster publicly, making it hard to detect changes in a committee’s composition. Both versions of the roster were consistent on one point: Each had just four voters listed as safety advocates, including the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Their power is helped by ASTM rules that require all “no” votes to be addressed. Objections can be dismissed by a two-thirds vote of the committee.
One person suggested moving away from spherical shapes. Another wondered whether colored magnetic balls looked too much like candy.“How large would these have to be in order not to be swallowed?” Rudolph asked.
Fixed it for you: 'Number of children swallowing dangerous magnets surges as industry FAILS TO POLICE itself'.
Oh yeah, Big Magnet is the problem here, not the fucking parents. 😐
I just pictured a bunch of jack-booted magnet police going to houses and force-feeding children magnets.
Coming soon to pork products
What could possibly go wrong when an industry is allowed to police itself.
Im sorry, what the fuck did you just say?
The magnet industry will struggle to solve this as its highly polarised.