As millions of Australians rush to finish their Christmas shopping and fill the stockings of loved ones they should be cautious about the gifts they buy and receive for children.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is urging businesses to adopt a new Code designed to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from children swallowing button batteries in Australia.
With the overall objective of reducing incidents of child exposure to button batteries, a National Strategy has been developed by all Australian Consumer Law (ACL) regulators, with the ACCC playing a coordinating role.
Stationery and toy retailer Smiggle has removed a button battery-powered yo-yo from stores in WA, and across Australia, to protect children from injury or death.
Christmas will come early for importers and wholesalers of children’s toys, with NSW Fair Trading embarking on an early compliance blitz on dangerous products in coming weeks.
Button batteries can be found in many household items. If a child swallows a button battery it can get stuck in their system and burn through soft tissue in as little as two hours, causing serious illness or death.
With Christmas toys now running out of steam and probably needing a battery change, there are a few things to consider when using and changing lithium batteries.
