NEWARK - Attorney General Zulima V. Farber and Consumer Affairs Director Kimberly Ricketts are alerting consumers to a voluntary recall of all Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets sold in New Jersey stores. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall on Friday following the death of a 20-month old boy in Washington state.

State and county consumer affairs personnel are visiting retail stores beginning today to make sure stores that sell the Magnetix toy sets have posted the CPSC Recall Notice in three places; on the shelf where the Magnetix toy sets are stocked, at the check-out register and at the front of the store.

Under N.J.A.C. 13:45A-24.3(d), retailers are required to display notice when “notified by a manufacturer, a distributor or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission of a defective or hazardous toy or other article intended for use by children...if the dealer has carried or normally carries such item.”

The CPSC announced the voluntary recall of approximately 3.8 million Magnetix building block sets distributed by Rose Art Industries Inc. of Livingston, N.J. One 20-month old child died and four children were seriously injured after swallowing tiny magnets that had separated from the plastic building pieces, according to the product safety commission.

“We will be checking to make sure retailers that carry the Magnetix sets are disclosing the potential hazard of this product to the public as legally required,” Attorney General Farber said.

The CPSC reported 34 incidents to date involving the small magnets in the Magnetix sets. A 20-month old boy died after he swallowed magnets that twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. Three children ages three to eight sustained intestinal damage that required surgery and hospitalization in intensive care. A five-year-old aspirated two magnets that were surgically removed from his lung. None of these incidents occurred in New Jersey.

“These incidents are vivid reminders that we need to protect our youngest and most vulnerable residents,” Consumer Affairs Director Ricketts said. “The danger is real, and working with retailers, we hope to prevent further tragedies.”

The CPSC Recall Notice advises that consumers who have already purchased the magnetic sets should stop using them immediately and return them to Rose Art Industries for a free replacement suitable for young children under the age of six. For additional information, contact Rose Art at 800-779-7122 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or via the company’s web site, http://www.roseart.com.

For additional information, consumers can access the CPSC Recall Notice at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06127.html or contact Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846 (within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200 or via the web site at http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov.

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