Battery Safety - CareforKids.com.au®

Battery Safety
Where do you store yours?

Last month a reader wrote to us with a story about a family member's baby – the story was also featured on Alan Jones radio show. It regards the safe storage of those little flat round batteries so commonly found in kids toys and music books.

On 19/4/09 Hunter Cheshire had his first birthday and the next week he was in hospital fighting for his life. He had swallowed a small round battery the size of a 10 cent piece. The acid has leaked into his little body destroying his oesophagus and damaging his windpipe and main artery to his left arm. His parents have been told that he may never eat again and that he may loose the use of his left arm.

The batteries were stored in a kitchen drawer that Hunter was unable to reach and his parents hadn't realized that their 3 year old could open that drawer. There is no storage advice or warning on packaging that these batteries, if swallowed by a child, can be fatal. These batteries are used in children's toys and musical books.

When we spoke to people many said they also had them in a kitchen drawer or in a TV cabinet and have now moved them to a higher/safer place.

We would urge any parents with small children to have a look around their kitchen and living room drawers etc and make sure that any batteries – this kind or any other, are stored well out of the way of any young child.

You can click here to a special Facebook page to help spread the word and if your child is in child care check with your service on their policies regarding use and storage of batteries.