The GCA has been contacted by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to draw our attention to the rules relating to batteries in products such as some greeting cards:
Business Obligations
Businesses that places batteries on the market (regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material composition or use, or the fact that the battery is or may be incorporated into an appliance) must:
- Ensure that appliances you place onto the market are designed in such a way that a waste battery can be readily removed from that appliance by the end-user or, where it cannot be readily removed by the end-user, by a qualified professional who is independent of the manufacturer.
- Is accompanied by instructions showing how the battery can be removed safely [by the end-user or by a qualified professional who is independent of the manufacturer].
- Where appropriate, inform the end-user of the type of the incorporated battery.
Unless
- Due to safety, performance, medical or data integrity reasons continuity of power supply is necessary and requires a permanent connection between the appliance and the battery.
Please see the Government guidance website for further information is required.