Product safety reportOPSS
Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm safety warning over a choking risk
Product Safety Report for Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm presenting a high risk of choking.
Take it away from young children now.
Product image from the OPSS safety notice
What to do now
The risk with Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm is choking: a part can detach and fits inside a child’s airway.
- Take it away from young children now.
- Look for loose pieces where it was used.
- This is a safety report rather than a manufacturer recall: the listing has been taken down, but the seller may not contact you. Get in touch with the seller through the marketplace.
- If you cannot reach the seller, Trading Standards can be told through Citizens Advice.
Why it matters. Children under three put things in their mouths. Anything small enough to fit through a toilet-roll tube is a choking hazard for them.
If someone has been hurt
Look out for
- coughing, gagging or noisy breathing after playing with it
Get help urgently
- a child who cannot breathe, cough or cry — call 999 and follow the call handler’s instructions
This is general information based on NHS public guidance, not medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For urgent advice use NHS 111 (NHS 24 on 111 in Scotland) or, in Northern Ireland, your GP or out-of-hours service.
Getting your money back
Contact the seller through your order history and say that the product is the subject of an OPSS safety report. Keep screenshots of the listing and your order.
If the seller does not respond, the marketplace’s own dispute process or your card provider is the next step.
From the official notice
Published by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (2103-0125). Quoted as issued.
Summary
Product Safety Report for Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm presenting a high risk of choking.
The risk
The small magnetic balls were found to be small enough to fit completely into a small parts cylinder and as such, would be regarded as capable of causing a choking hazard for a child under 3 years of age.
Three of the magnetic balls sampled were tested and found to have a magnetic flux index of 200.9, 199.6 and 251.8 kG2mm2, which is in excess of the maximum permitted 50kG2mm2.
If two or more magnets are swallowed, there is a risk that the magnets become drawn to each other in the digestive system, which could cause severe injury or death if rapid medical attention is not sought.
Action taken
The product has been voluntarily withdrawn from the market.
Advice to consumers
The product has been voluntarily withdrawn from the market.
Additional information
PSD case number: 2103-0125
Notified by: Office for Product Safety and Standards
Product description
Magnetic silver balls 5mm, made from the rare earth metal Neodymium
Open the OPSS notice
Questions
Why has Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm been reported?
The risk with Magnet Store Ltd Neodymium Magnetic Balls 5mm is choking: a part can detach and fits inside a child’s airway. Children under three put things in their mouths. Anything small enough to fit through a toilet-roll tube is a choking hazard for them.
How do I know if my product is affected?
The notice describes the affected product rather than listing codes. Compare the product name, pack size and where you bought it with the official notice.
What should I do now?
Take it away from young children now. Look for loose pieces where it was used.
Can I get a refund or a repair?
Contact the seller through your order history and say that the product is the subject of an OPSS safety report. Keep screenshots of the listing and your order. If the seller does not respond, the marketplace’s own dispute process or your card provider is the next step.
