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Products the mandatory safety standard applies to
Button and coin batteries are flat, round single cell batteries. This safety standard applies to:
- lithium batteries of any size where the diameter is greater than the battery’s height
- non-lithium batteries with a diameter of 16mm or more and the diameter is greater than the battery’s height.
This includes when the button and coin batteries are:
- not supplied within consumer goods but as replacements
- provided separately with a consumer good.
Products the mandatory safety standard does not apply to
This mandatory safety standard doesn’t apply to:
- zinc-air button batteries used in hearing aids
- button and coin batteries supplied in bulk for trades, professions or industries that won’t be sold to the public.
An example of this exemption are button and coin batteries supplied in bulk to jewellers and watchmakers to replace on behalf of consumers.
Complying with the mandatory standard
This mandatory safety standard applies to child-resistant packaging for button and coin batteries.
This information is an overview of how to comply with the mandatory standard. Suppliers must not rely on this information as a complete guide to compliance.
View the full detail of the mandatory standard.
Child-resistant packaging
Button and coin packaging must be child-resistant. Packaging means all types of packaging or containers used to supply button and coin batteries included in this mandatory safety standard.
Suppliers must make sure that button and coin battery packaging or containers:
- are designed so that it is resistant to being opened by a young child
- blister packaging can only release one battery at a time.
Child-resistant packaging testing
The products must comply with the applicable clauses in the standard they are tested against before being supplied to consumers.
You must demonstrate that button and coin batteries comply with the mandatory safety standard prior to supply to consumers by:
- nominating the set of compliance tests you used
- providing the test reports you relied upon.
Mandatory standard details
You can read, download, or buy a print copy of this standard at the Federal Register of Legislation website, Consumer Goods (Button/Coin Batteries) Safety Standard 2020.
This standard refers to national and international industry standards available from, Intertek Inform, UL Standards, and Accuris.
The ACCC can make a copy of these standards available for viewing at one of its offices, subject to licensing conditions.
When a product does not comply
Fines and penalties may apply for failure to comply with a mandatory safety or information standard. For more information, see fines and penalties.
Suppliers may need to recall a product when it doesn't meet the mandatory standard or is potentially unsafe.
See also
For suppliers, these provide further information about how to apply the safety and information mandatory standards:
- Button/coin battery safety: a guide for business on the application of mandatory standards, to help suppliers understand the requirements
Other button and coin mandatory safety and information standards