The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging parents and carers to be aware of the risks that coin-sized batteries pose to children if swallowed.
“Button batteries are a severe and little known risk for children but alarmingly an estimated five children per week in Australia present to an emergency department with a button battery related injury,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
Ms. Rickard explained that if swallowed, these coin-sized lithium button batteries can lodge in a child’s throat. An electrical current is immediately triggered by saliva in the throat, which causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn through the child’s oesophagus to internal organs such as the lungs, arteries and spine in only a few hours.

SAFETY TIPS
• Keep coin-sized button batteries and devices out of sight and out of reach
• Examine devices and make sure the battery compartment is secure
• Dispose of used button batteries immediately. Flat batteries can still be dangerous.
• If you suspect a child has swallowed a button battery, immediately go to a hospital emergency room
• Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for additional treatment information
• Tell others about the risk associated with button batteries and how to keep their children safe

In 2012, the ACCC partnered with Kidsafe and Energizer to develop the Australian Battery Controlled education campaign to raise national consumer awareness of the risks associated with coin-sized lithium button batteries. For more information