If you’re visiting FireAvert’s website, chances are you’ve been thinking about protecting your property from the danger of kitchen fires. But, there are many other areas of household safety that you may want to consider as well—along with fire prevention, of course. So, while you’re here ordering a FireAvert, take a look at some of the data and tips below regarding household poisonings to compare with the current prevention efforts you’re making in your home.
As safe as we may think our homes are, there are plenty of poisonous products found in nearly every household that can easily get into the hands of young children and other family members if not properly stored and supervised. This happens more often than you might think: in 2017, the U.S. Poison Control Centers received a report of a poison exposure every 14.9 seconds.
Thankfully, the majority of these reports do not turn out to be serious cases of poisoning, but it is worthwhile to note that the highest volume of calls were related to the unintentional ingestion of cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, and medications. (For more statistics from Poison Control, visit their website here).
To prevent instances of poisoning in your household, here are some helpful tips from KidsHealth.org:
Store all medicines — prescription and nonprescription — out of sight and out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet. Even items that seem harmless, such as mouthwash, can be extremely dangerous if ingested in large quantities by children.
Make sure purses and bags — yours and guests’ — that could contain poisonous items (such as medicine) are kept out of the reach of kids at all times.
Don’t rely on packaging to protect your kids — child-resistant packaging does not mean childproof packaging.
Don’t keep any cleaning supplies — including dishwasher powder, liquid, or pods — under the sink or in an unlocked cabinet.
Use safety latches for all cabinets containing hazardous substances.
Never put cleaning products in old soda bottles or containers that were once used for food.
When you’re cleaning or using household chemicals, never leave the bottles or buckets unattended if there’s a small child present.
Don’t use cribs, bassinets, highchairs, painted toys, or toy chests made before 1978; these may have a finish that contains lead.
Never leave cosmetics and toiletries within easy reach of children. Be especially cautious with perfume, hair dye, hairspray, nail and shoe polish, and nail polish remover.
For the full list of tips from KidsHealth.org, visit their website here.
And if you're worried about keeping medicines away from kids and pets, SingleCare.com has made a guide to help. It talks about easy ways to keep your home safe from accidental medicine eating. It covers things like the 5 R’s of medicine safety, how to store medicine safely, and tips for talking to your kids about medicine. Check it out here: Medication Safety Guide
We hope this information will help to keep you and those in your home safe from accidents involving poisonous household items. But, while there is much you can do to prevent these incidents from occurring, it’s still a good idea to have the Poison Control Center’s number listed as a contact in your phone or written down near a landline in your home, just in case: 1-800-222-1222.