Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Jo Gideon has expressed her growing frustration over the delay in implementing higher safety standards for the use of button batteries, despite the tragic death of toddler Harper-Lee Fanthorpe in 2021. Harper-Lee lost her life after swallowing batteries from a remote control handset, shedding light on the urgent need for enhanced safety measures.
Jo Gideon has been actively working alongside Harper-Lee’s family, who are also advocating for stricter guidelines surrounding button battery usage. The MP emphasizes that straightforward changes, such as ensuring batteries are securely screwed into devices, could have a significant impact on safety.
Button batteries are widely used in an array of products, including watches, toys, and kitchen scales. However, Jo Gideon points out that safety recommendations or “good practice” are currently offered voluntarily, leaving room for improvement in safeguarding individuals, particularly young children, from battery-related incidents.
The tragic incident involving two-year-old Harper-Lee occurred in May 2021 when she was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital after vomiting blood at her Stoke-on-Trent residence. An inquest later revealed that acid from the swallowed battery had burned through her food pipe and into a major artery.
To address this pressing issue, Jo Gideon and Harper-Lee’s mother, Stacey, established the Harper-Lee Foundation, aiming to collaborate with the government and advocate for enhanced safety standards.
As part of their efforts, five working groups have been formed, focusing on areas such as consumer awareness, data collection and comparisons, emerging technologies, enforcement, and industry standards. Notably, there have been updates to toy safety standards with additional information on button battery safety, set to be introduced by the end of November.
However, Jo Gideon insists that broader standards applicable to any battery-operated device remain a top priority. She is determined to continue pushing for changes that encompass all battery-powered products to ensure comprehensive safety.
While expressing gratitude for the growing number of advocacy groups working toward change, Jo Gideon remains frustrated by the slow pace of progress, even two years after Harper-Lee’s tragic passing.
“We need to have… either a piece of legislation, or certainly a change to standards that they [switch] from being guidance to being not voluntary anymore so we can prosecute, and Trading Standards have more power to their elbow to go after those companies and those retailers that are not complying,” said Jo Gideon, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.
The British Paediatric Surveillance Unit has conducted a vital survey of hospital admissions, providing essential data that highlights the need for changes in safety standards, according to the MP. It remains a crucial tool in advocating for enhanced button battery safety measures.
