UL Issues Safety Standard for Devices Using Lithium Button or Coin Batteries

Underwriters Labs announced a new safety standard for products that incorporate button or coin cell batteries using lithium technology. Standard UL 4200A applies to household-type products requiring the batteries that are used in areas where children are typically present, UL said. Products that contain a removable battery are required by UL 4200A to define methods to prevent the battery “from being liberated,” it said. The standard details performance tests, including abuse tests, designed to gauge a product's potential for an accidental release of a battery. UL 4200A addresses how the product should be marked, including warnings about the potential hazard and that batteries should be kept away from children. The standard describes the harm batteries can cause if swallowed and the need for immediate medical attention. Incidents involving button battery deaths and severe injuries have been increasing, UL said. The incidents most often involve children younger than 4, it said. Severe problems can arise when a battery becomes lodged in the digestive tract or elsewhere in the body, where electric current produced by the battery can ionize saliva, forming a corrosive alkaline that damages surrounding tissues, UL said. The standard is set to take effect Nov. 10, UL said.