Have you ever wondered why all refrigerators nowadays have magnetic doors? Well, it may surprise you, but the real reason is actually quite horrifying: refrigerators have magnetic doors because children were dying from suffocation after getting trapped.
Here’s the interesting story.
Prior to 1958 when the Refrigerator Safety Act went into effect, children would occasionally die from suffocation after being trapped in abandoned refrigerators. By the early 1950s, authorities were asking people not to abandon their unused refrigerators or at least detach the door before throwing them at nearby fields. Oklahoma even enacted legislation making it illegal to abandon a refrigerator with a latch in a location where children might find them. (the article continues after the ad)
Despite these efforts though, children were still getting trapped and dying. This led to the Refrigerator Safety Act that applied to all refrigerators and required a change in the way refrigerators doors shut. Because of this law, the industry adopted the magnetic mechanism which is used today and allows for a refrigerators to be opened from the inside.
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: The Reason Why Circus Acts Are Performed In 42ft (13m) Rings
Photos: Creative Commons / Instructables
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
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