Don’t put a damper on this Christmas Day by letting an unsafe battery spoil the celebrations.

Many Christmas gifts require small batteries, but these power units can be a major health or fire crisis.

ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) and ACT Fire & Rescue (ACTF&R) urge Canberrans to avoid a disaster this Christmas by handling any new battery powered toy with care.

ACTAS Chief Officer, Howard Wren, said that button batteries, if ingested, can cause significant internal injuries within a matter of hours.

“It is important to keep an eye on your little ones with their Christmas toys and decorations to ensure their safety,” said Chief Officer Wren.  

“Some signs of an ingested button battery include coughing or breathing heavily, chest pain or grunting, choking or gagging, vomiting, and bleeding. If you suspect your child has ingested a button battery call 000 immediately.”

ACTF&R Chief Officer Matthew Mavity said he’s encouraging the community to take precautions this summer period when handling lithium-ion batteries.

“Fires caused by charging batteries happen throughout the year, but the risk is higher in the hotter weather along with battery mishandling,” said Chief Officer Mavity.

“By following a few battery safety tips, we can help ensure your homes are fire free, and everyone can safely enjoy the season.”

Tips for battery safety this festive season:

• Charge batteries safely. Don’t leave charging batteries on beds or couches, and don’t leave them on charge longer than needed.
• Don’t leave batteries in direct sunlight or in hot cars and rooms.
• Don’t overload power boards with chargers.
• Don’t use ‘after-market’ battery chargers.

There’s a great range of education videos and printable resources from Sparkie the fire dog on the ACTESA website to teach kids how to be fire safe and is a great way to keep them entertained during the holidays.

For tips on how you can be emergency ready this fire season and more information on the dangers of batteries, visit www.esa.act.gov.au

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