Businesses that supply button batteries, or products that are powered by them, are being reminded by the ACCC that they must comply with the new button battery safety standards ahead of the laws becoming mandatory on June 22.
Under the mandatory safety and information standards, products must have secure battery compartments to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries.
Manufacturers must undertake compliance testing, supply batteries in child-resistant packaging, and place additional warnings and emergency advice on packaging and instructions.
Three children have died and 44 have been severely injured in Australia from incidents involving button batteries, and more than one child a month is seriously injured as a result of ingesting or inserting the batteries.
"These world-first mandatory standards for button batteries are an important step in helping to prevent injuries to children. Time is running out for manufacturers and suppliers to ensure their products are compliant," ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
"Once the standards become mandatory the ACCC will focus on enforcement action."
Penalties may apply for businesses that supply button batteries, or products containing them, that do not comply with the mandatory standards.
The standards were introduced in December 2020 with an 18 month transition period to allow businesses time to prepare. During the transition period the ACCC has worked with industry to explain the changes required.
"We are pleased that some suppliers have acted early by conducting recalls to remove unsafe products containing button batteries from the market," Ms Rickard said.
"Button batteries are found in a large number of common household items such as toys, remote controls, watches, digital kitchen scales and thermometers. If swallowed they can cause serious injuries to children, and we encourage consumers to check the list of recalled products on the Product Safety website."
If swallowed, a button battery can get stuck in a child's throat and cause a chemical reaction that burns through tissue, causing death or serious injury within a short amount of time.
Symptoms may include gagging or choking, drooling, chest pain (grunting), coughing or noisy breathing, food refusal, black or red bowel motions, nose bleeds, spitting blood or blood-stained saliva, unexplained vomiting, fever, abdominal pain or general discomfort.
