North Lanarkshire Council back better battery safety after child's death

dailyrecord.co.uk:

North Lanarkshire Council has pledged its support to a campaign promoting button battery safety.The Harper Lee Foundation raises awareness of the risks to children from swallowing button batteries.The charity was set up by the family of two-year-old Harper Lee Fanthorpe who tragically died after swallowing a small battery believed to be from a remote control.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Button batteries are found in a range of toys and household devices.

If a lithium battery is swallowed, the energy reacts with saliva to create a substance like caustic soda.This can burn through the food pipe to the main artery and cause internal bleeding and, potentially, death.

Seventeen-month-old Hugh McMahon from Motherwell also died after swallowing a button battery. The council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee agreed to sign the charity’s pledge and help raise awareness of the dangers of button batteries as well as safety measures to prevent more injuries and deaths.