SGS-Safeguards 11711- US Senate Proposes Bill to Mandate ...

[Pages:2]SAFEGUARDS

SGS CONSUMER TESTING SERVICES

HARDGOODS, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

NO. 117/11 JUN 2011

US SENATE PROPOSES BILL TO MANDATE BUTTON CELL BATTERY SAFETY

Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV has introduced a bill1,2, "Button Cell Battery Safety Act of 2011" in the US Senate to reduce the risk of injury or death to children from ingestion of button cell batteries. Small, round, coinshaped button cells are found in many everyday household products, from remote controls, watches, calculators, hand-held video game devices to toys. These small batteries can lead to severe injuries if swallowed and immediate emergency medical treatment is not provided.

1 Button Cell Battery Safety Act of 2011

2 Rockefeller Bill Will Help Prevent Kids From Swallowing Hazardous Mini Batteries

3 Button Battery Ingestion Statistics

4 CPSC Warns: As Button Battery Use Increase, So Do Battery? Related Injuries and Deaths

The National Capital Poison Center collects and analyzes incident data related to ingestion of button cell batteries. Their findings3 reveal "that button-battery related incidents resulting in severe injury and fatality have increased sevenfold since 1985. The most fatal incidents were reported in children under four who accessed the batteries directly from products such as remote controls, games, toys, and calculators".

The proposed legislation will require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create two sets of standards for consumer products containing button cell batteries.

I. One standard to address the accessibility of button cells by children in the product by ensuring secured button cell battery compartments.

II. The second would mandate that warning labels be placed on battery packaging, on any product accompanying literature and, where feasible, on the product itself.

Earlier in March 2011, the US Consumer Products Safety Commission issued an updated warning4 on risks associated with ingestion of small coin- and buttonsized batteries. The Commission made simple recommendations to prevent battery-ingestion related injuries.

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NO. 117/11 JUN 2011

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