UL 4200A Safety Standard for Products Containing Button or Coin Cell Batteries of Lithium Technologies

The standard “UL 4200A Safety Standard for Products Containing Button or Coin Cell Batteries of Lithium Technologies” developed by Underwriter Laboratories (UL) has been published as a safety standard for the performance and labeling requirements of the 16 CFR part 1263 safety standard. The UL 4200A standard is of great importance in improving the safety of coin batteries under Reese's law.

Many small battery-powered devices contain button or coin-cell batteries, which can cause catastrophic injuries if swallowed, including internal burns, tissue damage, and even death if not treated immediately. Various standards and regulations help reduce the risks.

The Reese Act in the United States mandates federal safety requirements for button and coin cell batteries. The purpose of this groundbreaking rule is to eliminate or sufficiently reduce the risk of injury to children age six and under from swallowing button cells during reasonably foreseeable use or misuse.

“16 CFR Part 1263 Safety Standard for Coin or button cell batteries and consumer products containing such batteries” contains a safety rule for coin or button cell batteries and consumer products containing such batteries. This standard is an important step in battery safety by establishing the performance, labeling, and other related requirements mandated by the Reese Act.

The Reese Act and 16 CFR part 1263 are broad in scope, covering consumer products introduced into the U.S. market with both removable and non-removable button cell or coin cell batteries. The requirements affect any general use or children's product that uses such batteries, including single-cell batteries with a diameter exceeding the height or other batteries identified by the CPSC as a swallowing risk, while toys and products for professional or commercial use are exempt. Product categories include, for example, consumer electronics, information technology equipment, audiovisual, hard goods, accessories, apparel, and footwear.

UL 4200A standard requirements include:

• Structure testing to verify that the design minimizes the risk of children removing and swallowing or sucking batteries. This includes the following two product design scenarios:
  • Replaceable battery designs for battery accessibility and battery compartment security
  • Non-replaceable battery designs for battery inaccessibility and battery safety
• Performance testing:
  • Preconditioning: Stress relief and battery replacement tests as applicable
  • Abuse: Drop (portable and handheld products), impact, crush, torque, tension and compression tests
  • Safety: Applicable to accessible button batteries that are not intended to be removed and replaced by the user
• Markings on packaging and products, including the permanence of such markings
• Instructions specifying the requirements for replaceable and non-replaceable button and coin cell batteries

Importers and manufacturers are required to demonstrate that their products offered to the U.S. market comply with the requirements of 16 CFR part 1263. Compliance can be demonstrated with one of two certifications:

• General Certificate of Conformity: This certificate evaluates products for compliance through testing or a reasonable testing program.
• Children's Products Certification: This certification evaluates products for compliance through testing conducted by a third-party laboratory accepted by the CPSC.

In short, the UL 4200A standard requires that battery compartments for these button or coin cell batteries be secure and accessible only by using a tool or at least two independent and simultaneous hand movements. These compartments must remain closed after tests simulating normal use and abuse, such as dropping onto a hard surface or pressure under a crushing force. The standard also requires warnings on product packaging, instructions and manuals, and the product itself, if space permits.

Among the numerous testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies that our organization has provided for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services defined in the standard “UL 4200A Safety Standard for Products Containing Button or Button Cell Batteries of Lithium Technologies” with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.