Has your child swallowed a battery? Important advice & Guidance!
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is working with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on a campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers surrounding button batteries. The guidance issued by the Office follows a report published by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) on Thursday 27 June, after the death of a three-year-old girl last year when she swallowed a 23mm button battery.
The campaign will inform parents and caregivers of the potential risks of a child ingesting a button battery, how such an incident can best be avoided, and what they should do if they believe a child has swallowed a battery.
The key messages for the campaign are as follows:
- Store spare batteries securely
- Know which devices use button batteries and ensure they’re properly secured
- Keep unsecured batteries or devices away from children
- Ensure children are aware of the dangers
- Safely dispose of dead button batteries immediately
- If you suspect your child has swallowed a battery, take them straight to A&E
As part of the campaign, CTSI will produce and utilise a number of digital resources, including an advice video, several graphics and posters, and a press release, all of which can be shared through social media channels. This will be an ongoing campaign, initially running until Sunday 14 July, with another week in September, and two weeks around Christmas. CTSI members and campaign partners will be informed of exact dates nearer the time.
Please see attached, a vital campaign pack with advice, guidance and key contact details.
Please display the attached posters where appropriate to raise awareness of this issue. You can also get involved by tweeting the hashtag's #BeBatteryAware & #ButtonBatteries
Your involvement in this campaign will ensure members of the public are educated on the dangers that come with button batteries, and help save children’s lives.
