Well, it might surprise you to know that coin or button batteries can be found in most common car key remotes and children can access these batteries through a variety of products or if carelessly left around the home. It is important to correctly dispose of any type of battery and keep spare batteries up high and out of reach of children. So if you see someone hand a set of car keys to play with, please let them know that these are not items to be played with.
I know I sound like a scratched record when it comes to these coin and button batteries, but I sincerely hope that all the information and posts that we put out, will prevent a child from swallowing or lodging a battery inside their body and I hope that we can build enough awareness to reduce the risk completely.
Statistics within Australia show that three children have died and at least one child a month is seriously injured after swallowing or inserting a button or coin battery, with some of them sustaining long term or life long injuries. The ACCC have developed mandatory safety and information standards now, to help reduce the risk of a child or children being exposed to the types of products where a button or coin battery might be found or easily removed from a product.
If you have ever purchased a remote car key from us, since June 2022, you’d have noticed we now sell our keys with warning packaging and every customer must sign a waiver, which makes them aware of the coin and button batteries within the product. This is all in hopes to reduce any risk of a child getting their hands on a battery. Whilst all the car key remotes we purchase come from suppliers that have completed compliance testing, we have taken extra measures to ensure all our customers are aware of the dangers.
As you now know, most car key remotes contain a coin or button battery and whilst it’s possibly to change the batteries in these yourself, it doesn’t mean you should. We highly recommend that the battery is changed by a professional, so head down to your local Battery World or Battery Mate stores, where they can change the battery for you and dispose of the old battery in the correct way.
If these batteries are swallowed or lodged in any part of the body, including the ears or nose, a lithium battery can cause severe or fatal injuries within 2 hours.
ALWAYS keep batteries out of reach of children.
If you think batteries may have been swallowed or placed inside any part of the body, call the 24-hour Australian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for fast, expert advice and seek urgent medical attention.
For more information on coin and button batteries, please click the link below.
Credit: Altitude Locksmiths and ACCC
