More than a third of products sold in Australia that contain dangerous button batteries fail to carry the mandatory warnings, according to the ACCC.
The ACCC, along with state and territory consumer protection agencies, surveyed more than 400 businesses and discovered “concerning levels of non-compliance with the button battery information standards introduced last year”.
34 per cent of products containing the batteries and 28 per cent of packs of button batteries did not include mandatory warnings.
The consumer rights group has been cracking down on the sale of button batteries without adequate warnings. In April, The Reject Shop was fined $133,200 and homewares company Dusk $106,560 due to various Halloween products the two retailers carried.
“Button batteries are incredibly dangerous for young children. If swallowed, a button battery can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause catastrophic injuries,” ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe said.
“In partnership with state and territory consumer law regulators we undertook surveillance which included visiting stores around the country and online to check if products and button batteries being sold meet the requirements of the standards.
“Although it was encouraging to see that most button battery products likely adhered to the accessibility requirements, we are concerned about the levels of compliance with the information and warning requirements.
“It’s critical that businesses include safety information and emergency advice on button batteries and packaging, so consumers understand the risks associated with these products.”
