Carpets & Flooring
CRI Articles
IEHA Articles
IICRC Articles
Features
Children act fast ... so do poisons!" It takes only a few minutes for a child to grab and swallow something that could be poisonous. And the average home is full of chemicals, medicines and cleaning supplies that can be potential hazards for children.
Take away the opportunity and you've automatically reduced the chance for an accidental poisoning when small children are around.
- Schedule routine cleaning around the kids' routines, such as nap time or when they aren't at home.
- Don't be distracted when you're cleaning. Keep your attention on the tasks at hand and the children around you. Save activities like talking on a cell phone, conversing with another adult in the room or "listening" to the TV for another time.
- Don't leave children unattended around cleaning products. If you need to answer the doorbell or the phone, take the child with you.
- Don't leave cleaning buckets containing liquid unattended. Besides the obvious chance of spilling, slipping and sipping, there's the fact that toddlers are "top heavy." If they topple into a bucket, even one with a very small amount of liquid, they could drown because they can't pull themselves up.
Store Smart
Because children are naturally curious, the danger doesn't end when the cleaning is finished.
- Close cleaning product caps securely. Even child-resistant packaging doesn't work if the container isn't properly closed.
- Lock products up. Store them in a location that's away from children, pets and food. Install child-resistant locks on cabinets and doors.
- Keep cleaning products in their original containers. If an accident occurs, the label should provide information concerning the product's contents and advice on what immediate first-aid to perform.
- Carefully dispose of empty cleaning containers. Replace the caps, then discard in a sealed recycling bin or garbage container that's safe from exploring children and pets.
If there is a poison-related emergency, call the Poison Control Center's hotline: 1-800-222-1222. Post this toll-free number, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, next to every phone in the house.
Poison Prevention Week was established to promote safety from unintentional poisonings in both the home and the community. It's sponsored by The National Poison Prevention Week Council, a group of more than 30 national organizations, including The Soap and Detergent Association, with an interest in and commitment to programs aimed at preventing unintentional poisonings.
The 
