Protecting Against Accidental Poisoning

Accidents are not supposed to occur. We can strive to avoid accidents as much as we can. Preventive measures are essential when it comes to accidental poisoning. This is particularly true in a home with young children and senior citizens.

There are approximately 300 kids that get treatment for unintentional poisoning. Children may come into contact with household cleaners or other chemicals due to their inherent curiosity. A product may still be dangerous if taken even if it does not carry a poison warning label.

Don’t Ever Let Yourself Experience This. Adhere to These Preventative Suggestions:

• Maintain the original containers for all household items. Cups, bottles, or other household items often used for food should not be used in place of the original containers. This way to you can avoid accidental poisoning at home.
• Store chemicals in a secure location. In a high cabinet or compartment with a child-proof lock is the ideal location to store cleaners, insecticides, and medications.
• Never combine chemicals. Chemical mixtures can occasionally produce lethal results. For instance, mixing bleach and ammonia might produce hazardous fumes.
• Verify the lid that tightly fastens before storing any medications, household products, or chemicals.
• Tell your kids about the risks. Children must be made aware that common household chemicals and pesticides should never be handled, let alone ingested.
• Always read the label on prescription medications to avoid accidental poisoning. When administering medications to children, pay great attention to the directions.
• Get rid of old medications. Get rid of prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements that are not in use, unnecessary, or expired. Before discarding them, combine them with kitten litter or coffee grounds.
• Never refer to medication as “candy”. No matter how much you want your children to take their medication, refrain from making it sound appealing by calling it candy. This can encourage children to take risky medications on their own.
• After use, store all medications, household products, and chemicals. Also, store it somewhere secure. Never, even for a little period of time, leave medications or chemicals outside.

Preventing Accidental Poisoning from the Following Products

• The risks associated with drugs, common chemicals, cleaning agents, and pesticides are simple to reduce. Never undervalue a child’s insatiable curiosity.
• Keep aerosol sprays and cleaning supplies up high in a cabinet where they are out of reach.
• For any cabinet housing cleaning or other chemicals, use safety latches.
• Maintain cleaning supplies in their original containers. Never store cleaning supplies in used soda bottles or food storage containers.
• If there are children present, keep a tight eye on the bottles or buckets when applying household chemicals or for cleaning.
• Never apply rat poison or roach powder on your home’s floors. On mattresses or furniture, avoid using insect repellents.
• Must hide away supplies for the dishwasher and laundry in a lockable cabinet to prevent accidental poisoning.
• Pods for dishwashing and laundry are riskier than other kinds of detergent. If you have kids under 6, consider switching to liquid or powder.
• Keep gardening items (fertilizer, insect repellant) and auto supplies (antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid) out of sight and safely stored them away (in your garage, if you have one). Make sure to store them in accordance with the directions on the package.

Even with these safety measures in place, accidents can still happen and damage children. But, being prepared well will enable you to respond to emergencies with confidence and speed.