National Retail Association of Australia created a working committee in 2016 to devise an industry code for button battery safety. This was after stories began to circulate of little children ingesting these ‘penny batteries’ with tragic results. The Australian mandatory button battery standard is now ready to come into effect on 22 June 2022.
Mandatory Under Australian Button Battery Standard
The draft standard has been pending since December 2020. It is a voluminous document although the following are most pertinent from a consumer point of view:
1… Consumer products must have secure battery compartments to prevent children from gaining access.
2… Manufacturers must do compliance testing, and supply batteries in child-resistant packaging.
3… Manufacturers must place additional warnings and emergency advice on packaging and instructions.
The standard applies to lithium, alkaline, silver oxide, and zinc air batteries on general sale to the public. Lithium batteries are considered greatest risk because their higher voltage damages tissue fastest. Moreover, their typically larger size makes them more likely to stick in a child’s throat. There should also be child-safe disposal instructions for spent button batteries.
Limitations and What’s Outside the Standard
The Australian standard – somewhat surprisingly on first sight – excludes zinc-air hearing aid batteries. Bulk button batteries for trades, professions and industries, or not for sale to the public are also outside its remit. We suppose the reasoning is these ought not to be within easy reach of children.
The same logic may have come into play when excluding certain equipment. This includes hearing aids, and professional equipment that should not be used in the presence of children. The exclusion also extends to audiovisual and infotec communication equipment with permanent batteries.
In hindsight the Australians may have made the right decision to knock off high child-risk areas first. We would like see broader standards in future, although we accept some equipment, like miniature hearing aids may prove impractical.
Breaking News
AI Steadily Improves New Battery Performance
Could Electric Eels Give Batteries a Few Tips?
