Millions of Brits admit to leaving batteries lying around – almost a quarter catch a child playing with a loose one in their home.
Despite the danger, more than two-thirds of the 2,000 adults surveyed would be unsure what to do if they encountered a child swallowing a battery.
Ingestion of the coin-shaped cells can trigger life-threatening chemical reactions in just two hours — in which energy from the battery reacts with saliva to create caustic soda that in turn burns into tissue and causes internal bleeding.
More than half (53%) admit to casually leaving batteries around the house rather than keeping them out of sight.
But 42% think they should put more effort into keeping things like batteries safe in their home.
The survey was commissioned by Duracell, as part of the #Take10 campaign, to encourage parents to take 10 minutes to check that button batteries in their homes are safely stored out of the reach of children and that all devices have battery compartments. have that are well closed.
Swallowing a lithium coin cell battery can cause a life-threatening chemical reaction within two hours (Image: Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg/Getty Images) Read More
The battery manufacturer is also working with child safety expert and nurse Emma Hammett of First Aid for Life to provide simple tips to improve home safety.
Emma Hammett said: “It’s an easy step to make your home safer, take 10 minutes to make sure there are no loose button batteries in your house.
“Make sure you have identified and verified all appliances in your home that contain button batteries, and keep batteries safely out of sight and reach, and recycle used batteries properly.
“If you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, take him to the ER as soon as possible, don’t wait any longer.”
It also found that two-thirds of those surveyed, via OnePoll, believe that not enough is known about the dangers of button batteries.
According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, at least two children a year have died in the UK as a result of swallowing lithium button batteries.
Duracell coats his batteries with a bitter substance to prevent children from putting them in their mouths (Image: Universal Images Group/Getty Images)
And surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital see one child a month with caustic burns caused by them.
Christina Turner, Duracell Category Director UK & Ireland, said: “We rely on button batteries as an integral part of many of the gadgets we use, such as key fobs and remotes for example.
“As a button battery manufacturer, we created #Take10 to educate parents, grandparents and carers about the risks and causes of accidental ingestion of button batteries in the home, and the steps that can be taken to prevent cases from occurring.
“We are the first manufacturer to introduce child safety features to its button battery range.
“It has a highly effective bittering agent from Bitrex, which triggers an instinctive response in babies and toddlers to spit out the battery if they accidentally put it in their mouth.
“However, protection also relies on checking households to ensure the batteries are also safe in their packaging or devices.”
EMMA HAMMETT’S TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR HOME SAFE:
Be sure to locate all appliances in your home that contain button batteries and place them out of the reach of children, and keep spare batteries in a safe place out of sight and reach, and recycle used batteries properly. Keep dishwasher tablets and washing-up tablets safely out of the reach of children – never leave them in the machine or under the sink. Check that blind cords snap securely out of reach and don’t hang anything like drawstring bags on the back of doors or the ends of beds. Double-check your window locks and remove anything that children can clamber on to see out the window. Always empty bowls, paddling pools, tubs and other water containers after enjoying water play. When cooking, use the back of the hob and keep the handles out of reach. After using flat irons, curling irons and flat irons, keep them well out of reach with their cords stored safely until they have cooled completely. Always start with cold water when filling the bath and check the temperature carefully before letting your child in. Keep hot drinks out of reach – a cup of tea or coffee that has been cooled for 10 minutes is still hot enough to burn a child. Keep medicines in a locked cupboard – never leave them by the bed and be aware of the possible contents of Grandma’s handbag. Read more related articles Read more related articles