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US Product Safety Commission Warns That Some Fidget Spinners Explode (cnn.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNN: Fidget spinners are supposed to be calming and fun, especially for students struggling to focus. But after some dangerous incidents involving the popular gizmos, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued new fidget spinner safety guidance for consumers and businesses. There have been a handful of choking incidents reported with the toys, as well as two instances of battery-operated spinners catching on fire and another incident in which a fidget spinner melted, the agency said. No deaths have been reported. The agency also issued safety guidance on battery-operated fidget spinners. Consumers should always be present when the product is charging, never charge it overnight and always use the cable it came with, the statement said. Users should unplug their spinner immediately once it's fully charged and make sure they have working smoke detectors in their home.
"As the agency investigates some reported incidents associated with this popular product, fidget spinner users or potential buyers should take some precautions," Ann Marie Buerkle, acting chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in a statement. "Keep them from small children; the plastic and metal spinners can break and release small pieces that can be a choking hazard; and older children should not put fidget spinners in their mouths." Fidget spinners should be kept away from children under the age of 3, the statement said.
"As the agency investigates some reported incidents associated with this popular product, fidget spinner users or potential buyers should take some precautions," Ann Marie Buerkle, acting chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in a statement. "Keep them from small children; the plastic and metal spinners can break and release small pieces that can be a choking hazard; and older children should not put fidget spinners in their mouths." Fidget spinners should be kept away from children under the age of 3, the statement said.
older children should not put fidget spinners in their mouths
Older children should know what goes in their mouth.
If not, they really need to be treated as mentally ill and watched 24/7.
Kids of the past had their fad toys too.
Clackers, yo-yos, rubber wristbands, rubik's cube, hula hoops, marbles...
No comparison. Most of those take hand-eye coordination or brains. The first thing you do with a spinner is also the only thing you do, but I guess that fits in with the modern attention span.
I remember taking the heads out of a broken VCR, and spinning it. Those bearings and all that mass made it spin for a pretty long time. It was fun maybe twice.
A battery operated fidget spinner? Are you kidding me, is this for real? How lazy do you have to be?
Hmm.. where do I get one?
I bought 4 while drunk. Are there tricks or something? Surely they can't be this boring. At least the pet rock gave you a focus for your affection. And the guy made a million bucks.
As a parent of an up and coming geekling, it annoys me immensely how difficult it is to get a hold of chemistry sets contain, you know, chemicals!
90% of them are reduced to baking soda and vinegar, which you have to supply. They include the safety goggles tho, sheesh.
Min
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