WA Government and Consumer Protection issue warning about deadly button batteries in Halloween props
The scariest thing about Halloween isn’t the monsters, but the hidden dangers lurking in some of the decorations and costumes.
Warnings have been issued to families around WA after security experts identified worrying security issues during a scan of Halloween-themed products on six online shopping platforms.
Consumer Protection purchased 49 button, battery-operated products and found that only three met minimum safety and information standards.
Commissioner Trish Blake said the warning comes after three children across the country died after eating button batteries.
“So we say to parents and carers, think about what you’re buying for Halloween and anything that has a button battery in it at any time,” Ms Blake said.
“Anything that flashes or lights up, moves, or has a wireless electronic function likely has a button battery in it.”
Ms Blake said many more children were suffering lifelong medical problems after swallowing button batteries.
“What happens is when they swallow those button batteries, the tissues burn,” he said.
“What happens to a child in such a short period of time is incredibly dangerous and horrifying.”
Failed safety standards included unsafe battery compartments; This made button batteries easily accessible and posed a serious risk to young children. This happened with items like costume accessories, skeleton candlesticks, spider candles, pumpkin tote bags, and blinking finger rings.
In one problematic case, the button batteries came out of the Halloween light during shipping and remained loose inside the packaging upon delivery.
Nearly all products were missing mandatory warning labels alerting consumers to the presence of button batteries.
Ms Black said parents should do a “dip test” on purchases.
“We ask you to check everything you buy and do a simple drop test,” he said.
“So even if it seems safe, drop test it from waist height to the ground and make sure it won’t come apart easily.
“Also, don’t be fooled by screw-on battery compartments, as we’ve found that many of these products have screws, but the screws don’t actually connect to anything or aren’t long enough to keep the compartment securely closed.”
Trade Minister Tony Buti said he wanted the Government to remove the products from online platforms.
“The State Government took swift action and worked with online platforms to remove unsafe listings and encourage further steps such as product recalls, demonstrating our strong commitment to protecting families and ensuring accountability,” Dr Buti said.
“These findings show that hidden dangers continue to find their way into online markets and that consumers need to be more careful when purchasing children’s Halloween products online.
“While we cannot actively regulate the safety of every product coming into WA, we can help educate consumers about spotting unsafe items this Halloween and I would encourage anyone embracing this tradition to check the Consumer Protection website for safety tips.”
