Category: Safety & Care

General safety information based on Fire and Rescue NSW guidance. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific device.

Lithium-ion cells are everywhere: phones, earbuds, power tools, e-bikes and many small rechargeable devices. They store a lot of energy in a small space, which is exactly what makes them useful and also why they deserve some care. Fire and Rescue NSW describes portable lithium-ion batteries as a leading fire hazard, and most of its advice comes down to a handful of habits.

This guide summarises that advice in a form that applies to any small rechargeable device.

Buy batteries and chargers you can trust

Problems often start before a battery is ever charged. Fire and Rescue NSW recommends choosing batteries and chargers from reliable manufacturers and looking for an approval mark on the product itself.

• Check that the charger is designed for the specific device.
• Be cautious of items with no visible approval marks. You can ask the seller for proof, or report them to your state fair trading agency.
• Check the ACCC’s Product Safety Australia recalls list if you are unsure about a product.

Charge with care

Charging is the moment when a battery is under the most stress. The following habits come straight from fire-service guidance.

Use the right charger

Use only the charger supplied with the device, or another charger approved for it. A plug that physically fits is not proof that the charger is compatible.

Choose the right place

• Charge on a hard, non-flammable surface such as tiles or concrete.
• Never charge on a bed, sofa or carpet, where heat cannot escape and materials can ignite.
• Install working smoke alarms in areas where you regularly charge devices.

Stay nearby and unplug when done

Avoid charging while you are asleep or away from home, and unplug the device once it is fully charged.

Know the warning signs

A battery that is failing usually gives clues. Stop using and stop charging any battery or device that is:

• swelling, bulging or leaking
• unusually hot to the touch
• cracked, dented, punctured or crushed.

A damaged battery should never be charged “one more time”. If it shows any of these signs, take it out of service.

What to do with a damaged battery

Fire and Rescue NSW advises keeping a damaged battery outside in a well-ventilated area, at least three metres from structures and anything combustible. Small batteries or devices can be placed in a plastic container of water to cool.

If a battery is leaking but not overheating, place it in a clear plastic bag or container and take it to a Community Recycling Centre or a household chemical collection event, rather than an ordinary battery drop-off point.

Never put batteries in the bin

Lithium-ion batteries should never go into household waste or recycling bins. They can be crushed in collection trucks and at processing facilities, where they can start fires. Small, undamaged batteries can go to a battery recycling drop-off point. Tape over the terminals with clear tape first to prevent short circuits.

Some small devices have batteries that are built in and cannot be removed safely. Our guide to disposing of a used vape explains the options for those.

A quick checklist

1. Buy from reliable sources and check for approval marks.
2. Use the original or an approved charger.
3. Charge on a hard surface, away from beds and sofas.
4. Don’t leave devices charging while you sleep or go out.
5. Retire any battery that swells, leaks, overheats or is damaged.
6. Recycle batteries properly and never place them in a bin.

Conclusion

Most lithium-ion incidents are preventable. Good chargers, sensible charging locations and prompt retirement of damaged cells remove most of the risk. These habits apply equally to a phone, a power tool or any small rechargeable device in your home.

Sources

• Fire and Rescue NSW, Lithium-ion batteries: shop, charge and recycle safely
• NSW Environment Protection Authority, Why can’t batteries go in the bin?

If you think a child has swallowed, inhaled or spilled vape liquid on their skin, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24 hours, 7 days). If a child has collapsed or is not breathing, call 000 immediately.

Most safety conversations about vapes focus on the person using them. This one is about everyone else in the home. NSW Health warns that vapes attract children, are not child-resistant, and that a young child can die from a very small amount of nicotine. The good news is that the steps to prevent an accident are simple.

Why nicotine liquid is a particular risk

Vape liquids are considered high-risk for children for two reasons that NSW Health highlights: they can contain nicotine at high concentrations, and their packaging is often poor. Bright colours and sweet smells can also make devices and liquids look like toys or treats to a small child.

Poisons Information Centres receive calls about young children exposed to vapes every day, according to NSW Health. Pets face a similar risk, because many animals will chew small objects that smell interesting.

How to store products safely

Lock it away

The single most effective step is to keep devices, refills and liquids locked up and out of reach. A high shelf helps, but a locked cupboard or lockable box is better, because children climb.

Keep it out of everyday spaces

• Don’t leave devices on bedside tables, coffee tables or car consoles.
• Don’t keep them in handbags or jacket pockets that children can reach.
• Return items to storage straight after use, rather than “just for now”.

Keep the home and car smoke-free and vape-free

NSW Health recommends not vaping around young children and keeping both the home and the car smoke-free and vape-free.

Signs of nicotine exposure

NSW Health lists these possible symptoms after a child is exposed to vape contents:

• coughing
• vomiting
• drowsiness
• difficulty breathing.

Symptoms can appear quickly. Don’t wait for them to develop before seeking advice if you suspect exposure.

What to do if exposure happens

1. Stay calm and move the child away from the product.
2. Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice, even if the child seems well.
3. If the child has collapsed, is having trouble breathing or is unresponsive, call 000 immediately.
4. Keep the product or packaging so you can tell the health professional exactly what was involved.

The Poisons Information Centre is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day across Australia.

Safe disposal matters too

An accident can still happen after a product is finished. Dispose of used devices and empty containers where children and pets cannot get to them. Never place batteries in household bins. Our guide to disposing of a used vape explains the safer options available in Australia.

Conclusion

Secure storage is the simplest and most effective protection. Lock products away, keep them out of shared spaces and dispose of them carefully. Save 13 11 26 in your phone now, so the number is there if you ever need it.

Sources

• NSW Health, E-cigarette child safety resource
• The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Clinical practice guideline: nicotine poisoning

Disposal options vary by council and change over time. Check Recycling Near You or your local council for current drop-off points.

A finished vape looks like a small piece of plastic, but it usually contains two things that make ordinary disposal unsafe: a lithium-ion battery and residual e-liquid. Both need a different path from the household bin. This guide explains why, and what to do instead.

Why vapes don’t belong in your bin

Battery fires

Lithium-ion batteries can spark, ignite or explode when crushed. Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You warns that vapes placed in household or workplace recycling bins can start fires in collection trucks, and the NSW EPA advises that batteries should never go into garbage or recycling bins.

Chemical residues

E-liquids contain chemicals that can contaminate soil and waterways if littered or sent to landfill. Leftover liquid in a device or pod is a hazard to children and pets too, which is covered in our guide to safe storage.

First, identify the type of device

How you dispose of a vape depends on its design.

Device type	Battery	What to do
Reusable device	Usually removable	Remove the battery and take it to a battery drop-off point
Single-use device	Built in	Don’t dismantle it. Ask your council about drop-off options
Pods, cartridges and e-liquid	None	Some pharmacies accept them through the Return Unwanted Medicines project

Reusable devices: recycle the battery

If the battery can be removed as the manufacturer intends, take it to a battery collection point. According to Recycling Near You, Australia’s national battery recycling scheme, B-cycle, accepts vape batteries.

Before you drop it off, put clear sticky tape over the battery terminals to reduce the risk of sparking. Once the battery is out, the empty outer casing can go in the general waste bin.

Single-use devices: don’t take them apart

Single-use vapes are the hardest to dispose of because the battery is sealed inside. Recycling Near You advises against removing it yourself, because some cheaply made batteries can short-circuit during dismantling.

Instead:

• Contact your local council and ask whether it accepts vapes.
• Look for Community Recycling Centres or household chemical drop-off events. Some councils accept vapes at these.
• Use the Recycling Near You search to find options near you.

Recycling Near You notes that the ACT’s two resource management centres accept all types of vape, and that the City of Sydney and the City of Casey also run drop-off points.

Pods, cartridges and liquids

Some pharmacies accept cartridges, pods and e-liquids through the Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) project. Not every pharmacy takes them, so call ahead. Batteries must never go into RUM bins.

Damaged or swollen devices

If a device is swollen, leaking or hot, treat it as a damaged battery. Fire and Rescue NSW guidance is to keep it outside in a well-ventilated area away from anything combustible, and to take leaking batteries to a Community Recycling Centre. Our lithium-ion battery guide explains the warning signs.

Conclusion

The rule is simple: no batteries in bins. Remove and recycle the battery where the device allows it, use council or community drop-offs for sealed single-use devices, and return pods and liquids to a participating pharmacy. A few minutes of planning keeps a small device from becoming a fire in a collection truck.

Sources

• Planet Ark, Recycling Near You, Can vapes be recycled? (October 2023)
• NSW Environment Protection Authority, Why can’t batteries go in the bin?
• Fire and Rescue NSW, Lithium-ion batteries: shop, charge and recycle safely