Button batteries
Button batteries are small round silver batteries that look like coins to small children—they must be kept out of children’s reach at all times.
They pose a serious choking hazard because of their size, which makes them easy for children to put in their mouths and accidentally swallow, or to push them into their ears or nose.
If a battery is swallowed or inserted in the body it can cause severe burns or death.
Share the information on this page with your family and friends to help prevent button batteries from causing harm.
If a button battery is swallowed or inserted
If you suspect your child has swallowed or inserted a button battery, contact the Poisons Information Centre immediately on 13 11 26 for fast expert advice, 24/7.
If this isn’t possible, go straight to the hospital emergency room.
Don’t let the child eat or drink and don’t induce vomiting.
It takes as little as 2 hours to cause severe burns once a button battery has been ingested or 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.
Inserted batteries can cause localised pain and discharge or bleeding. There may be no symptoms, but look out for:
- gagging, choking or grunting
- pain or irritability
- unexplained refusal to eat
- vomiting
- drooling, a hoarse voice
- coughing or noisy breathing
- chest or tummy pain
- unexplained fever
- black or red vomit or bowel motions, which can indicate bleeding from the gut
- nose bleeds—sometimes this can be blood vomited through the nose.
Batteries have been reported being inserted or lodged in the:
- ear
- nose
- eye
- vagina
- bottom
- urethra (tube leading to bladder).
Mandatory safety standards
Mandatory standards for button and coin batteries
From 22 June 2022 businesses that supply button or coin batteries—or products containing button or coin batteries—in Australia must comply with the Australian Government’s mandatory standards to reduce the risk of death and injury associated with the use of button and coin batteries.
The standards apply to:
- button cell batteries
- coin cell batteries
- the products that include button and coin cell batteries.
Find out more about the button and coin batteries mandatory standard on the Product Safety Australia website.
Mandatory standard for toys
The Australian Government’s mandatory standard for toys for children aged up to and including 36 months sets out the requirements for the design and construction of toys for children in this age range. It requires all toys for children aged up to and including 36 months containing any type of battery (including button batteries) to have the battery compartment secured so that it can only be accessed using a tool.
The mandatory standard was created to reduce the chances of small parts coming off toys during play or after reasonable wear and tear, helping to prevent choking, suffocation or death.
The mandatory standard applies to toys which have been manufactured, designed, labelled or marketed as playthings.
Find more information about the toys mandatory standard on the Product Safety Australia website.
When choosing a product
You should try to select products that don’t need button batteries or have non-replaceable button batteries. However, if you buy a product with a button battery, you should make sure it complies with the above mandatory standards for button and coin batteries.
Children can access batteries from battery packaging or from products when:
- the battery is removed
- the battery compartment can be easily opened (e.g. it’s not appropriately re-secured)
- the battery compartment or product breaks and the battery is released.
For products with replaceable batteries ensure they:
- require a screwdriver or tool to open the battery compartment
- have battery compartments that are secured with a child-resistant locking mechanism, requiring 2 independent and simultaneous movements to access the batteries
- are strong enough to be dropped without breaking and can withstand reasonable foreseeable use or misuse.
Button batteries can be found in common household items, including:
- calculators
- cameras
- car keys
- children’s toys (though most incidents don’t come from toys)
- digital kitchen and bathroom scales
- fitness devices
- flashing novelties (e.g. flameless candles)
- glucometers
- hearing aids
- musical greeting cards
- reading lights
- remote controls
- thermometers
- torches
- watches.
Find buying tips for products containing button batteries on the Product Safety Australia website.
Store batteries out of reach of children
Keep spare button batteries locked away out of children’s reach and dispose of used button batteries appropriately.
Ensure new button batteries you buy are in child-resistant packaging that needs to be opened with scissors or has another child-resistant mechanism.
Find out more about button battery safety on the Kidsafe Queensland website.
Safe disposal of batteries
Even flat button batteries have enough charge to cause internal burns. Flat batteries in the waste system are an increasing cause of fires.
Ingestion, insertion and battery 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 the jar out of reach of children before taking the flat batteries to a recycling centre.
Don’t dispose of button batteries in general waste or recycling bins—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.
Find more information on how to keep your home and loved ones battery-safe on the B-cycle website.
Report unsafe products
You can report a product using unsecured button batteries to Product Safety Australia.
You can also browse a list of recalled button battery products.