Almost one in five recent recall notices were for kids’ products, including Santa photo gifts

More than 170 products have been pulled for failing new safety standards in the past 18 months, prompting calls for tougher button battery laws.

A grieving mother who campaigned for tougher button battery laws after her daughter’s tragic death has called for change after more than 170 deadly products – including toys – were pulled for failing vital new safety standards.

Three young Australian children, including Allison Burns’ daughter Isabella Rees, have died after swallowing button batteries.

New 2022 laws require consumer products that contain the deadly items to have child-­resistant battery compartments and warning labels.

But a Herald Sun analysis has found more than 170 different products – more than eight a month – have been pulled over button battery issues in recalls since the standards became mandatory in June 2022.

Allison Burns’ daughter Bella Rees died after swallowing a button battery. Picture: Tony Gough

The batteries can burn a hole in a child’s oesophagus in just two hours, causing lifelong injuries, but almost one in five of the recent recall notices were for kids’ products, including gifts given at Santa photos.

The recall notices, on the ACCC’s Product Safety Australia website, reveal products were sold to unsuspecting families for an average of 383 days, with Christmas and Halloween items, remote controls, car and garage keys and battery-powered candles also popular.

Ms Burns, of Melbourne, said she worried another child would die “every day”.

She found her 14-month old daughter in her cot, covered in blood, in February 2015 and rushed her to hospital for the fourth time in just a few weeks.

A button battery can burn a hole in a child’s oesophagus in just two hours.

This experiment shows how quickly the button battery eats through a peice of bacon.

Doctors did not know what was wrong until too late and she died 19 days after she swallowed a battery.

Ms Burns, who founded Bella’s Footprints, said the “alarming” number of recalls show there was still a “big hole” in the system.

“How are they still getting through?” she said.

“By the time they’ve been recalled, they’re already in the hands of children and in family homes.”

Ms Burns says she fears another child could die. Picture: Tony Gough

She pointed to figures showing that emergency departments see 20 children every week who are suspected of swallowing a button battery. She said she was also concerned about the countless products sold before June 2022 that were in homes.

She slammed the government for failing to do more, and said she had reached out to multiple government bodies for help on raising awareness with little response, apart from the ACCC.

“I have approached so many government departments to help me,” she said.

“These people won’t even sit with me. I’m constantly coming across people finding out about it for the very first time, so it means the messaging isn’t getting through and it needs to come at a higher level.”

She wants stricter rules including a register of products, a ban on “unnecessary” ones — such as light-up shoes or dog toys — and widespread community safety campaigns.

The Herald Sun analysis showed 60 per cent of products recalled under the new laws did not have the battery properly secured, while a further 50 products were recalled during the 18-month transition period before June 2022.

Most of the recalled products were sold nationally and available in Victoria at such retailers as Big W, Australia Post, Officeworks and Bunnings.

The Herald Sun understands state regulators pulled more than 450 items from stores in pre-Christmas checks.

An ACCC spokesman said the Reject Shop, Dusk, Tesla, Repco, Supercheap Auto and Innovative Mechatronics Group had paid a collective $514,500 in fines.

He said everyone in the supply chain must comply with the laws. The ACCC’ “will make it clear” that compliance was necessary, he said.

A state government spokesman said: “Consumer Affairs Victoria carries out compliance checks at stores statewide, and education and awareness ­activities focus on parenting groups and businesses.”

A federal government spokesman said the government passed further laws on button batteries in toys last ­October and “continually assesses the safety of goods and the way that they are used”.