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Issues Paper Questions 1 - 7
1.
What data or information can you provide on the size and value of the Australian market, or for a segment of the market, for button batteries or for products that
contain button batteries?
Provide your answer below.
This is a representative of the biomedical devices in the healthcare industry.
2.
What data or information can you provide on the prevalence of and costings of injuries and fatalities caused by button batteries?
Provide your answer below.
I believe that there was an incident involving a child in Queensland of a button battery in a home health devices.
3.
What information can you provide on the range of products that you supply that contain button batteries?
Provide your answer below.
SA Biomedical Engineering are asset managers of all TGA registered biomedical assets within SA Health. Most of which do not have button cells. Unfortunately due to the fact most of the button battery devices are the low cost no maintenance they do not hit our radar much. These devices are often not registered or managed well due to the above fact but they are often in devices such as Glucose monitors that are given to patients and often end up in the home environment and are a disposable product at the end of life. I do know that the current product used within SA Health does not have a tool required removable battery cover and could pose a potential risk. All devices like this should have appropriately captured batteries that are not accessible by children. There are potentially wearable health treatment/monitoring devices that also fit this category that are starting to trend that need to have similar considerations.
4.
Do you think the recommended safety actions in the Industry Code for Consumer Goods that Contain Button Batteries (Code) for products that contain button batteries are adequate to reduce the risk of children accessing button batteries? Please provide the reasons for your response.
Provide your answer below.
Health goods such as examples provide are often less seen as consumer goods and appropriate attention to the button battery issue is overlooked. These should also be captured as they they are within domestic environments. A lot of these devices need to be registered with the TGA and the fact that they are coming in without this being addressed indicates that there is not sufficient visibility of the issue.
5.
Do you think the recommended safety actions in the Code should be made mandatory? What impact would mandating these requirements have on Australian suppliers?
Provide your answer below.
I feel these type of devices can head towards correcting this issue within appropriate time frames.
7.
What other research and development activities are you aware of that are directed toward:
c. improving the medical approach to button battery ingestion or injury
I have seen a safety alert from Queensland only on this.
Issues Paper Questions 8-15
8.
Would a mandated safety standard for the security of battery compartments of products containing button batteries be likely to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities caused by button batteries in Australia? Please provide the reasons for your response.
Provide your answer below.
Yes this makes them less accessible to children hence reducing incidents.
9.
Would a mandated safety standard and/or an information standard for child resistant packaging and labelling be likely to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities caused by button batteries in Australia? Should any such standard require provision of Australian Poison Information Centre details? Please provide the reasons for your response.
Provide your answer below.
Issues do occur now hence a packaging and education will go towards reducing risk.
11.
In your view, should any consumer products containing button batteries be banned from supply in Australia? If yes, please provide the reasons for your response.