A consumer advocacy group has called for the overhaul of product safety laws in Australia after two children were killed by 'deadly' batteries found in everyday items.
Nonprofit group CHOICE, along with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, have called for a new law regulating 'unsafe products' - ranging from children's toys to deadly batteries.
ACCC Chair Rod Sims told the National Consumer Congress in Melbourne on Thursday an average of two people die and 145 are injured every day due to unsafe products.
'Many people are surprised to learn that it is not illegal to sell unsafe goods in Australia. There is no law that says goods have to be safe, but there should be,' Mr Sims said.
CHOICE discovered manufacturers and retailers are ignoring safety risks posed by various button battery-powered products.
Small, round, lithium batteries have been the cause of 17 child injury cases since December 2017 and the deaths of two young children.
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE discovered manufacturers and retailers are ignoring safety risks posed by various button battery-powered products
The small, round, lithium batteries have been the cause of 17 child injury cases since December 2017 and the deaths of two young children
The tiny discs could be found in common household goods such as clocks, thermometers, remote controls, kitchen scales, and calculators.
'Ten out of 17 button battery powered household items failed CHOICE safety tests with the potentially deadly batteries easily accessible,' CHOICE Head of Policy and Campaigns Sarah Agar said.
· Keep all button battery operated devices out of sight and out of reach of children.
· Examine devices and make sure the battery compartment is secure.
· Dispose of used button batteries immediately. Flat batteries can still be dangerous.
· Tell others about the
