In a move to raise awareness about the risks associated with button batteries, entertainment powerhouse The Wiggles will dedicate an upcoming podcast episode to this critical issue. This decision follows the company’s acknowledgment of a probable violation of Australian consumer law, as confirmed by the national consumer protection agency.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that The Wiggles Holdings had been selling Emma Bow headbands that lacked the essential safety warnings required for items containing button batteries.
According to the ACCC, these headbands, which feature a yellow and black design with four flashing lights, were sold without the necessary safety warnings from June 2022 to March 2024.
The ACCC warns, “If ingested, a button battery can lodge in a child’s throat, causing severe injuries or even death within just two hours.”
In response, The Wiggles has given the ACCC a court-enforceable undertaking, admitting to the likely breach of regulations and pledging to establish a consumer law compliance program within their organization.
Additionally, CA Australia has committed in writing to enhancing its adherence to consumer law compliance, according to the ACCC.
As part of its cooperation with the ACCC, The Wiggles will also produce an episode of its podcast, “Wiggle Talk – A Podcast For Parents”, which will refer to the recall and will discuss safety issues relating to button batteries and children’s toys to help raise awareness.
“At The Wiggles, the safety and wellbeing of children and families is always our highest priority,” Wiggles HQ said in a statement.
“We want every parent and carer to feel complete confidence in any product bearing The Wiggles name.”
The statement said that the Emma headbands, which were supplied by a licensee, had been manufactured before the current information standard was introduced in 2020 and came into force in 2022.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancellations, the licensee had a surplus of stock produced prior to 2020 and regrettably it was not identified that these products no longer complied with updated labelling regulations,” the statement read.
“The Wiggles have worked with the ACCC to address this issue as fully and transparently as possible, initiating a joint recall with the licensee for this product in August 2024.
“We have now mutually agreed with the ACCC on a range of actions including promoting safety information on an upcoming episode of ‘Wiggle Talk – A Podcast for Parents’.
“The Wiggles are committed to ensuring that every product associated with our brand meets the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.
“We will continue to take proactive steps to protect children and support Australian families in every way we can.”
