Button batteries

Due to their size, they pose a serious choking hazard as they are easy for kids to put in their mouths and accidentally swallow, or to push into their ears or nose.

If a battery is swallowed or inserted, it can cause severe burns or death.

Read the information below and share with others to help keep children safe.

Check items

Button batteries are found in common household items including:

• children's toys (though these are not the source of most button battery exposures)
• flashing novelties (e.g flameless candles)
• remote controls
• thermometers
• car keys
• watches
• calculators
• scales
• musical greeting cards
• glucometers
• hearing aids
• reading lights
• cameras.

Button batteries are accessed from battery packaging, from products and on removal from the product.

Access from products occurs when:

• the battery compartment is easily opened by a young child
• the battery compartment has not been appropriately resecured
• the battery compartment or product breaks and the battery is released.

Make sure products are durable and the battery compartments are secure.

Buy safe products

Try to select products that do not require button batteries or where the button batteries are fully enclosed and non-replaceable.

Only buy products that comply with the mandatory standards for button and coin batteries. The mandatory standards require button battery operated products to be durable, similar to requirements in the toy standard. Button battery products should be robust enough to be dropped without breaking.

For products with replaceable batteries ensure they either:

• require a screwdriver or tool to open the battery compartment
• are secured with a child-resistant locking mechanism, requiring 2 independent and simultaneous movements to access the batteries.

Button battery products should be robust enough to be dropped without breaking.

Buy new button batteries in child-resistant packaging—that is, with packaging that needs to be opened with scissors.

Keep out of reach

Keep spare button batteries locked away out of children’s reach and dispose of used button batteries appropriately.

Flat batteries can still be dangerous because they contain enough charge to generate an electrical current once ingested/inserted.

Taping and disposing of button batteries

Even spent button batteries have sufficient charge to cause internal burns. Spent batteries in the waste system are an increasing cause of fires.

Both ingestion/ insertion and fires can be prevented by immediately taping spent button batteries with clear sticky tape and storing them in a glass (fire resistant) jar that is vented to release any gas. Store this jar out of reach of children prior to taking spent batteries to a recycling facility.

Taping batteries keeps children safer and reduces the risk of fires.

Don’t toss them in general waste or recycling bins.

Always tape your used button batteries with clear tape and

Take them to your nearest B-cycle accredited drop off point.  There are drop off bins in most major supermarkets and at approved accredited battery collectors, sorters, or recyclers.

Learn more on how to keep your home and loved ones battery-safe from B-cycle website.

B-cycle is a national, government-backed scheme run by the Battery Stewardship Council and authorised by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Seek immediate medical attention

If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, contact the Poisons Information Helpline immediately on 13 11 26.

If this is not possible go straight to the hospital emergency room. Do not let the child eat or drink and do not induce vomiting.

It takes as little as 2 hours to cause severe burns once a button battery has been ingested/ inserted and remains lodged in the body so you need to take immediate action.

A battery stuck in the oesophagus (food pipe) is the most dangerous.

There may be no symptoms, but look out for:

• an episode of gagging or choking
• Pain or irritability (this may be poorly localized)
• unexplained food refusal
• vomiting or regurgitation of food
• drooling or hoarse voice
• coughing or noisy breathing
• chest or tummy pain or grunting
• unexplained fever
• bleeding from the gut—black or red vomits or bowel motions.
• nose bleeds—sometimes this can be blood vomited through the nose.

Inserted batteries present with localised pain, discharge/ bleeding.

Batteries have been reported in the:

• ear
• nose
• eye
• vagina
• bottom
• urethra (tube leading to bladder).

Tell others

Tell family and friends about button battery safety, including prevention, recognising symptoms and taking action.

Button batteries must be kept out of reach at all times.

You can report products that use unsecured button batteries with make a product safety complaint or report unsafe product with Product Safety Australia.

Find a list of recalled button battery products from Product Safety Australia.