BSI Publishes PAS 7055:2021 For the Safety Requirements & Specification Of Button & Coin Batteries

October 18, 2021

On 30 April 2021, the UK National Standards Body (BSI), sponsored by Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published the first standard to address the safety issues posed by button (non-lithium) and coin (lithium) batteries. The new Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standard, PAS 7055:2021, Button and coin batteries – Safety requirements – Specification, is aligned with The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR), which requires that new and used consumer products placed on the market are safe.

The PAS specifies safety requirements for button and coin batteries up to 32 mm in diameter to mitigate the risk of ingestion. It also defines the safety requirements for manufacturers and producers of button and coin batteries, including the consumer products that use them, and the retailers and distributors of these products. The requirements cover labelling, instructions and packaging, alignment of safety and health warnings, merchandising, safe disposal and product safety of typical consumer products using button and coin batteries. Regarding the electric toys sold with button cells/ coin cells to Great Britain market(England and Wales and Scotland), one point to note is that the current designated standard for electric toy safety is still EN62115:2005+A12:2015 while this PAS has introduced some of the requirements, warnings and labelling from BS EN IEC 62115:2020+A11:2020 (which has been harmonized for EU), included but not limited to:

The battery compartment door/cover shall conform to BS EN 62115:2020+A11:2020, 13.4.1
The battery compartment fastener shall conform to BS EN IEC 62115:2020+A11:2020, 13.4.6
Products that contain batteries (regardless of chemistry) shall include the warning signs shown in below reference from BS EN 62115:2020+A11:2020, 7.2.6. on the product. Where possible this shall be on or near the battery compartment. The warnings on the product shall be permanent, legible, and indelible

Summary as below:

CONDITION	MARKING ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN COIN OR LITHIUM BATTERIES	MARKING ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN BUTTON OR NON-LITHIUM BATTERIES
On Packaging
On Packaging	If color is not possible for the sign, black and white can be used as below:
Additional Requirement	The packaging for consumer products that contain batteries shall also include the following or equivalent warning: "If the battery compartment (if applicable) does not close securely, stop using the product and keep it away from children" The warnings on the packaging shall be permanent, legible and indelible. They shall not be distorted when a battery is removed, e.g. with a multipack of batteries.
On Product that Contain Coin / Button Batteries	Products that contain batteries (regardless of chemistry) shall include the warning signs shown below on the product. Where possible this shall be on or near the battery compartment. The warnings on the product shall be permanent, legible and indelible.
Warning Criteria for Consumer Products	When the warning signs shown in above pictograms are used, the following requirements shall be met: the safety sign shall be on a contrasting background, which covers at least 50% of the area of the pictogram the diameter of the safety sign shall be 6 mm, or larger; and the text "BATTERY WARNING: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN" shall contrast with the background color on which it is printed
Instruction Manual	The warnings and information specified above shall be also included in any instructions and/or manual that is provided with a product. The instructions shall include information on the symptoms that might arise because of battery ingestion (see Appendix 1). These symptoms shall also be included in the manual.

Appendix 1 - Example information on symptoms from battery ingestion

NO OBVIOUS SYMPTOMS

Unfortunately, it is not obvious when a button or coin battery is stuck in a child's oesophagus (food pipe). There are no specific symptoms associated with this. The child might:
cough, gag or drool a lot appear to have a stomach upset or a virus be sick point to their throat or stomach have a pain in their abdomen, chest, or throat	be tired or lethargic be quieter or more clingy than usual or otherwise "not themselves" lose their appetite or have a reduced appetite not want to eat solid food / be unable to eat solid food
These sorts of symptoms vary or fluctuate, with the pain increasing and then subsiding. A specific symptom to button and coin battery ingestion is vomiting fresh (bright red) blood. If the child does this seek immediate medical help. The lack of clear symptoms is why it is important to be vigilant with "flat" or spare button or coin batteries in the home and the products that contain them.

Unfortunately, it is not obvious when a button or coin battery is stuck in a child's oesophagus (food pipe). There are no specific symptoms associated with this. The child might:

cough, gag or drool a lot
appear to have a stomach upset or a virus
be sick
point to their throat or stomach
have a pain in their abdomen, chest, or throat

be tired or lethargic
be quieter or more clingy than usual or otherwise "not themselves"
lose their appetite or have a reduced appetite
not want to eat solid food / be unable to eat solid food

These sorts of symptoms vary or fluctuate, with the pain increasing and then subsiding.

A specific symptom to button and coin battery ingestion is vomiting fresh (bright red) blood. If the child does this seek immediate medical help.

The lack of clear symptoms is why it is important to be vigilant with "flat" or spare button or coin batteries in the home and the products that contain them.

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