Do you feel well informed about the safety of neodymium magnets? If you do, great! If you don't, you should keep reading. In this post, we will not only tell you how and why magnets can be dangerous, but we will also walk through some basic tips for how you should handle your magnets in different situations.
Contents:
ㆍAre neodymium magnets safe?
ㆍ5 common sense about handling neodymium magnets
ㆍSafe transportation of neodymium magnets
ㆍ17 Tips for safe handling of magnets
Neodymium magnets are perfectly safe for humans and animals as long as you handle them with care. For older kids and grown-ups, smaller magnets can be used for everyday applications and entertaining.
But remember, magnets are not a toy for toddlers and minor kids to play with. You should never leave them alone with strong magnets like neodymium magnets. First of all, they might choke on the magnets if they swallow them.
You should also be careful not to hurt your hands and fingers when handling stronger magnets. Some neodymium magnets are strong enough to cause some serious damage to your fingers and/or hands if they get jammed between a strong magnet and metal or another magnet.
You should also be cautious with your electronic devices. Strong magnets like neodymium magnets can as mentioned before, damage some electronic devices. Therefore, you should keep your magnets at a safe distance to TVs, credit cards, computers, hearing aids, speakers, and similar electronic devices.
ㆍYou should always wear safety goggles when handling large and strong magnets.
ㆍYou should always wear protective gloves when handling large and strong magnets
ㆍNeodymium magnets are not a toy for children to play with. The magnets are very strong!
ㆍKeep neodymium magnets at least 25 cm away from electronic devices.
ㆍKeep neodymium magnets in a very safe and long distance from individuals with a pacemaker or an implanted heart defibrillator.
In case you didn’t already know, magnets can’t just be shipped in an envelope or plastic bag like other goods. And you certainly can’t put them in a mailbox and expect everything to be business as usual shipping vise.
If you put it in a mailbox, it will simply stick to the inside of the mailbox, because they’re made of steel!
When shipping a strong neodymium magnet, you need to pack it so it doesn’t attach to steel objects or surfaces.
This can be done by using a cardboard box and a lot of soft packaging. The main objective is to keep the magnet as far away from any steel as possible while reducing the magnetic force at the same time.
You can also use something called a “keeper”. A keeper is piece of metal that close the magnetic circuit. You simply attach the metal to the two poles of the magnet, which will contain the magnetic field. This is a very effective way to reduce the magnetic force of the magnet while shipping it.
Choking/Swallowing
Do not let small children alone with magnets. Children can swallow smaller magnets. If one or several magnets are swallowed, they risk getting stuck in the intestine, which can cause perilous complications.
Electrical danger
Magnets are as you probably know, made of metal and electricity. Do not let children or anyone for that matter put magnets into an electrical outlet. It may cause an electric shock.
Watch your fingers
Some magnets, including neodymium magnets, can have a very strong magnetic strength. If you don’t handle the magnets in with caution, you risk jamming your fingers in between two strong magnets.
Very powerful magnets can even break bones. If you need to handle very large and powerful magnets, it is a good idea to wear protective gloves.
Don’t mix magnets and pacemakers
Magnets may affect pacemakers and internal heart defibrillators. For example, a pacemaker may go into test mode and cause the patient to get ill. Also, a heart defibrillator can stop working.
Therefore, you must keep such devices away from magnets. You should also advise others to do the same.
Heavy things
Too much weight and/or defects may cause objects to loosen from a magnet. Heavy objects falling from a height can be very dangerous and lead to serious accidents.
You can’t always count 100% on the indicated adhesive force of a magnet. The declared force is often tested in perfect conditions, where there are no disturbances or defects of any kind.
Metal fractures
Magnets made of neodymium can be quite fragile, which sometimes results in magnets cracking and/or splintering into many pieces. These splinters can be spread up to several meters away
Magnetic fields
Magnets produce a wide-reaching magnetic reach, which isn’t dangerous for humans but can cause damage to electronic devices, such as TV's, hearing aids, watches, and computers.
To avoid this, you need to keep your magnets at a safe distance from such devices.
Fire danger
If you process magnets, the dust can relatively easily ignite. Therefore, if you drill in magnets or any other activity which produces magnet dust, keep fire at a safe distance.
Allergies
Some types of magnets may contain nickel. Even if they are not coated with nickel, they might still contain nickel. Some individuals may have an allergic reaction when they have contact with nickel. You might already have experienced this with some jewelry.
Be aware, nickel allergies can be developed from having contact with nickel-coated objects. If you already suffer from nickel allergy, you should, of course, avoid contact with that.
May cause serious bodily injury
Neodymium magnets are the most powerful rare earth compound commercially available. If not handled properly, especially when handling 2 or more magnets at once, fingers and other parts of the body may be pinched. The powerful forces of attraction can cause neodymium magnets to come together with great force and catch you by surprise. Be aware of this and wear proper protective equipment when handling and installing neodymium magnets.
Keep them away from children
As mentioned, neodymium magnets are very strong and can cause physical injury, while small magnets can pose a choking hazard. If ingested, the magnets can be joined together through the intestinal walls and this requires immediate medical attention because it can cause serious intestinal injury or death. Do not treat neodymium magnets the same way as toy magnets and keep them away from children and babies at all times.
May affect pacemakers and other implanted medical devices
Strong magnetic fields can adversely affect pacemakers and other implanted medical devices, although some implanted devices are equipped with a magnetic field closure function. Avoid placing neodymium magnets near such devices at all times.
Neodymium powder is flammable
Do not machine or drill neodymium magnets, as neodymium powder is extremely flammable and may present a fire hazard.
May damage magnetic media
Avoid placing neodymium magnets near magnetic media, such as credit/debit cards, ATM cards, membership cards, discs and computer drives, cassette tapes, video tapes, televisions, monitors and screens.
Neodymium is fragile
Although most magnets have a neodymium disc protected by a steel pot, the neodymium material itself is extremely fragile. Do not attempt to remove the magnetic disk as it will probably break down. When handling multiple magnets, allowing them to come together tightly can cause the magnet to rupture.
Neodymium is corrosive
Neodymium magnets come with a triple coating to mitigate corrosion. However, when used underwater or outdoors in the presence of moisture, corrosion can occur over time, which will degrade the magnetic force. Careful handling to avoid damage to the coating will prolong the life of your neodymium magnets. To repel moisture, keep your magnets and cutlery.
Extreme temperatures can demagnetize neodymium
Do not use neodymium magnets near extreme heat sources. For example, near a rotisserie, or the engine compartment or near your car's exhaust system. The operating temperature of a neodymium magnet depends on its shape, grade, and use, but may lose strength if exposed to extreme temperatures. The most common grade magnets withstand temperatures of approximately 80 °C.
AH MAGNET is an IATF16949, ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO45001 accredited manufacturer of all kinds of high-performance neodymium magnets and magnetic assemblies with over 30 years of experience in the field.
As an experienced NdFeB magnets manufacturer, we are committed to serving our customers in the following ways:
Ensuring high-performance products
Ensuring timely product delivery
Ensuring flexibility by tailoring products according to our customers' needs
Ensuring that our prices are competitive
If you need our products, please feel free to contact us!
top
