Reference guide · checked 2 September 2026
Safe handling begins before a cell enters a device and continues after it is spent. Button and coin batteries require particular care because they are small enough to swallow.
Keep new and used cells in secure packaging or a child-resistant container, out of sight and reach of children. Replace batteries on a clear surface, observe polarity and ensure the device compartment closes as designed. Do not bypass a screw or dual-action closure.
Keep loose cells away from metal objects and from each other where terminals could short. Do not crush, disassemble, heat or expose cells to fire.
Act immediately and use the official emergency route for your country. Do not wait for symptoms and do not use this website as medical treatment advice. The safety page links CPSC, GOV.UK/OPSS, Health Canada and ACCC guidance.
Collection rules vary by jurisdiction. Follow your local authority or recognised product-stewardship scheme. Keep spent cells secured until hand-off because a “flat” button cell can still present an ingestion or short-circuit hazard.
Keep cells in secure original packaging until needed and store them away from food, medicine and locations children can access. Check that the destination device has an intact compartment and that any child-resistant fastener works before introducing a loose cell.
Work on a clear, stable surface away from children. Remove and replace one cell at a time where the device permits, observe polarity and avoid touching loose cells with metal tools that can bridge terminals. Close the compartment exactly as designed.
If a cell is swollen, leaking, unusually hot or mechanically damaged, stop handling it for identification and follow current manufacturer or local hazardous-waste advice.
Secure used button cells immediately and keep them out of reach while awaiting an approved collection route. Do not assume that “flat” means harmless. Local recycling and disposal rules differ, so link to the authority serving the user’s location rather than publishing one global bin instruction.
For suspected ingestion or insertion, use the official country route immediately. The Battery Codebook safety page links those services without substituting its own treatment advice.
Keep the official emergency route accessible before working with loose button cells. Use a clear surface away from children, confirm polarity, close the compartment securely and account for the removed cell immediately. Store spent cells in a child-resistant way until they reach the current approved local collection route.
Checked 2 September 2026. Device requirements remain authoritative.