Shipping Magnets This Holiday Season
If you want to mail a magnetic Christmas or holiday-themed card to your family—the ones with the magnetic backing you can stick up on your refrigerator – rest assured that it’s safe to do! There is little to no risk involved in mailing these refrigerator cards across the country. That said, if you’re thinking of shipping more powerful magnets this holiday season, be aware: they can cause damage if not properly mailed.
How to Transport Magnets
General things to keep in mind if you’re transporting magnets anywhere:
- Package magnets with alternating poles by having the North poles face opposite directions.
- Use a keeper bar or magnetic shielding (often made of steel) to absorb the magnetic field.
- Using a magnetic warning label on the address side.
- Completing a shipper’s declaration of dangerous goods in triplicate; attach to the outside of the package.
- For international shipping, non-regulated magnets need to have a magnetic field strength that is weaker than 2 milligauss from 7 feet away.
- For domestic shipping, non-regulated magnets need to have a magnetic field strength that is weaker than 5.25 milligauss from 15 feet away.
- These fields can be blunted with absorption (keep bar or magnetic shielding).
- If the magnetic field is unconfined, clearly label the package “Surface Only” or “Surface Mail Only” and “ Magnetic—Keep 7 Feet Away From Navigational Equipment.”