Many products around your home, including your glucose meter, are powered by a button or coin sized battery. Since 2016, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been assessing home-use medical devices, such as glucose meters, to ensure they are designed in a way that reduces the risk of a button battery injuring a child.  

From June 22, 2022 strict new standards governing button batteries will become mandatory in Australia. Manufacturers and suppliers have until then to ensure that they comply with the new mandatory standards, including ensuring that their product design and packaging are compliant.

There are four new standards:

1. Products that use button (coin) batteries must withstand reasonably foreseeable use or misuse conditions without releasing the battery
2. Compartments holding button batteries must be resistant to being opened by young children
3. Fasteners for doors and covers to compartments holding button batteries must be child-proof so that the battery is confined
4. Compliance testing must demonstrate safety requirements have been met

Additionally, replacement button batteries must be sold in “child-resistant” packaging.

Why the change?

In Australia, one child a month is seriously injured after swallowing a button battery. For some children, this may result in lifelong injuries or even death. The risk is the highest in children aged 0 to 5 years as they are smaller and have a greater tendency to place objects in their mouth, ears and noses.

According to The Australian Competitor & Consumer Commission (ACCC) the consequences of a child swallowing a battery can be:

• The battery lodging in the child’s oesophagus
• Saliva triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction that can cause severe burns to the child’s oesophagus and internal organs including vital arteries, lungs, heart, larynx and spine
• Serious injury can occur in as little as two hours and the results can be fatal
• Once burning begins, damage can continue even after the battery is removed
• Repairing the damage can be painful and may require multiple surgeries over many years
• This can result in ongoing treatment and follow-up plans for injuries sustained from button battery ingestion.

This can all be avoided if children are NOT able to access button batteries.

What does this mean for glucose meters?

Meters you currently own are not subject to these changes.

Any glucose meter supplied or purchased after June 22, 2022 must have an identifying ‘keep out of reach of children’ logo and a child proof battery cover.

Replacement batteries purchased at your local supermarket or pharmacy MUST come in child-proof packaging.

Disposing of used button batteries

Always store your spare batteries out of reach of any children you are in contact with, no matter the age. Keep your spare batteries in a secure place in your home or workplace, away from little fingers. Remember, old or spent button batteries can still be a risk, so safely dispose of them immediately.

Tips:

• When changing a battery, do so on a flat surface to prevent it from rolling into a place a child can reach.
• Wrap the used battery in sticky tape to make it harder to swallow. It will also stop the battery from catching fire.
• If you have an empty child-proof pill bottle, pop the used battery in there.
• Dispose of the battery immediately in your outside bin.

The new standards are just not for glucose meters, but also apply to any item with a button battery such as toys, medical devices or appliances. It includes products made in Australia or being imported in from other countries.

For more information: fact sheet

Reference