Chemical Safety at Home

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#368 by Safety Toolbox Talk Webmaster
Chemical Safety at Home was created by Safety Toolbox Talk Webmaster

With Spring here, many of us will start to utilize fertilizers and other chemicals to help take care of our lawns and gardens. This is a good time to evaluate your chemical storage at home to protect your children or grandchildren.

Poison control centers across the country get more than 2 million calls a year about potential exposure to poisons. Almost all of these exposures occur in the home and 80% of all poisonings are in children between the ages of 1 and 4. Follow these guidelines to prevent poisoning in the home.

  • Install safety locks/childproof latches on all cabinets to restrict access to children.
  • Store potential poisons including detergents, medications, cosmetics and perfumes, and chemical products (like pesticides and drain cleaners) out of reach and out of sight of children -- inside the house as well as in the garage or shed.
  • Store potential poisons in their original containers. Do not transfer them to food containers like milk jugs or coffee cans.
  • Keep food and potential poisons separate; store them in different cabinets. Children can mistake the identity of products that look alike to them.
  • Return all products to storage immediately after use. Keep the products and your children in sight during use.
  • Safely discard -- into a sealed, outdoor trash receptacle -- all household products and medications that are old or aren't used regularly.
  • Never mix products; dangerous fumes could result.
  • Make sure medications are in child-resistant containers. Vitamins and supplements also should be out of reach of children. Remember that child-resistant is not child-proof.
  • Keep indoor plants out of reach; some may be poisonous.
  • Stay away from areas that have been sprayed recently with pesticides or fertilizer.

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