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New Child-Proof Hearing Aid Battery Packaging

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Reese’s Law involves a lot of documents besides the law itself. This appears to be the CPSC final rule called for by the law. Interestingly, it says that zinc-air batteries are exempt from warning labels because they aren’t an ingestion hazard.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/21/2023-20334/safety-standard-for-button-cell-or-coin-batteries-and-consumer-products-containing-such-batteries12

Hearing aid batteries are not exempt from the packing requirements!!! See section 3 of the Reese law. see PUBLIC LAW 117–171

CPSC even states that on their website.

Navigating the Regulatory Landscape of Button Cell and Coin Batteries: An...10

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Think about it. If the batteries where exempt they wouldn’t be package in the child resistant packaging.

I used to handle plaintiff personal injury cases in CA so fully understand these types of issues and generally advocate for safety measures whenever feasible. I don’t find the rationale here behind the packaging to be convincing. No pun intended, but it’s absolute overkill. The risk of a child accessing and ingesting the battery is prevented only when it is in its original packaging. Nothing prevents an errant battery being consumed by a child once it’s placed in the , until the time it is disposed of. For the 10 days or so while it’s disengaged from the HA at night (and often can fall out) and when it ends in the battery disposal, it’s a potential risk to a child. Nothing but care and caution by the HA user can avoid that risk. This packaging avoids the risk for what? 90 percent of the battery’s lifetime? In the meantime, for those of us who have some seriously arthritic hands, these packages are very difficult and more often than not, result in us cutting ourselves, even if you have a specific scissor. Sorry for the rant, but this just defies common sense.

Partial solution: I bought an Altoids-tin insert with 8 compartments from Etsy22. I remove all of the batteries from the 8-piece child-proof pack and store them in the tin. Only need to fight with the child-proof package once a month. Bonus: batteries smell minty! :smirk:

@carolyn.r.greenberg said:

I remove all of the batteries from the 8-piece child-proof pack and store them in the tin.

It’s a great solution on one condition: when one battery is in one compartment. Otherwise, batteries may be shorted and become discharged even with the stick still on them.

When these batteries are purchased in bulk, are the “tray” packages any easier to use? Maybe a few users could buy a tray & distribute them in reasonable numbers.

Just trying to think outside the hand-terrorizing ‘box,’

WH

In reply to @SallyB

@SallyB said:

even if you have a specific scissor. Sorry for the rant, but this just defies common sense.

Just got some 13’s at my local Costco in the usual pack (not child proof) but a few month ago I also got some CR2032 types, and those were in the new packaging (BTW it was difficult to get one out), a small child may have a bit more trouble swallowing a large CR2032 than a #13 bat… so yes logic is not in the thinking of those regulators.

Ok. I read this thread when it started and also wondered when it wold start hitting the stores. My most recent set of Costco batteries were the new packaging.
They are awful! I have lots of old containers that I’ve kept and will probably be switching them out. Because seriously, whe my hearing aid battery dies, i dont have scissors in my backpack, car, purse (and everywhere else i keep them)

My first thought was for someone with fine motor difficulty…old, young, and in-between. This is one more thing that someone will have to do for them.

I’ve taught students who have hearing loss for the past 29 years. There are locked battery doors for , BAHS, . I teach children as young as 5 ish (depends on the child😀) to change their batteries with adult supervision. Now I’m going to have to adjust. I tell my older students to carry them in their notebook, backpacks, etc…now they have to have scissors with them?!

Side note: one of my parents recently had their child swallow the HA batte ry (first in29 years). And the children’s ER said to wait for it to pass…really? !

@MisTrae said:

Side note: one of my parents recently had their child swallow the HA batte ry (first in29 years). And the children’s ER said to wait for it to pass…really? !

I’m an adult but in 2016 I put an old battery in between my lips whiles I was changing batteries and I ended up swallowing it. Stupid I know but didn’t have anywhere to put it.

UK A&E said it’ll just pass and it did.

As soon as I saw this new packaging (from USA posts on here), I’ve saved every empty strip of both 312 & 13. @Zebras recommended a key ring caddy that holds 4-5 and I’ve bought some pill caddies that hold 2. I’m just hoping someone out there will produce a very small circular pill box about the same size, and thickness, as the circular area of a battery strip. Does anyone know for certain that this new packaging will migrate to the UK/Europe? If they’re really in their way, I know a hearing aid wearer that does 3D printing.

In reply to @MisTrae

@MisTrae said:

one of my parents recently had their child swallow the HA batte ry (first in29 years). And the children’s ER said to wait for it to pass…really?

Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says hearing aid batteries aren’t an ingestion hazard. So if they are ingested then they’ll pass harmlessly, it would seem.

In reply to @Dusty

I’m 46 and have worn hearing aids since I was 3; this new packaging is frustrating me, too! It’s not practical for taking them out in public with you and it’s hard to open the package without it making all of them fall out.

Just received a package of PowerOne 312 batteries from Amazon- they are in the original packages, not child-proof. I’ve used these in the past and found they are good quality and last up to a week.

In reply to @maryL

I think providing options for childproof and non childproof is fair. This law doesn’t require audiologists to provide contacts for poison control, or requires them to counsel parents on the dangers. The CPSC has also mentioned they were given an option to make these a blanket packaging law as well.

It is very unfair and stupid the carelessness of the family who passed this law. They failed to secure the remote control, they put the battery inside it, and failed to notice their 18 month old child ingested it until she became sick. She was diagnosed with croup. Once she became worse, they realized the battery was missing, and matched her symptoms to battery ingestion.

The infuriating issue is that hearing aid batteries are not the same ingestion hazard as the button batteries are. They typically will pass through.

We also have access through battery doors, improper disposal, and when people turn the hearing aid off, so this law is really not well thought out lol.

I have wrote a letter to the rep who enacted this law as well as sent him a package explaining why it is such an issue. I’d suggest you all send a letter as well to request an amendment. I sent one already with a nice package for them to open without the use of scissors

Rep. Robin L. Kelly
2329 Rayburn house office building
Washington DC
20515

Edited

In reply to @x475aws

That’s the irritating part. The family is also trying to push for stricter legislation to mandate battery door locks, which is stupid. We shouldn’t be punished for a product that didn’t kill their kid.

Write to the rep who signed this in law and request an amendment. The more people who complain, the greater it will be to get an amendment

Rep. Robin L. Kelly
2329 Rayburn House office building
Washington DC
20515

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