Thirteen countries and jurisdictions teamed up to make button-battery safety a global priority at a biannual meeting during International Product Safety Week (June 16 to 20).
Increasingly, larger button batteries are used in small electronics that often are left within reach of small children, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which discussed the dangers associated with these small batteries at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium Tuesday.
The CPSC is representing the United States. Additionally, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Peru, as well as the European Union, also have committed to this effort.
“We are pleased to participate in this international information and awareness effort on button battery safety,” Robert Adler, CPSC acting chairman, said. “Preventing battery-related incidents is a priority at CPSC. Today, our collective voices in this worldwide effort will make this a global priority.”
There are thousands of reports world wide of incidents involving children and seniors accidentally swallowing these batteries, according to the CPSC. The consequences of which can be immediate and devastating. If it lodges in someone’s throat, chemical burns could result in as little as two hours.
The CPSC is working with the industry, public health officials and the global community to prevent these types of incidents. So far battery manufacturers have added new safety warnings and made additional packaging changes.
For more information, view CPSC’s “Beware of Tiny Button Batteries” video.
