Safety First

When you look around your home, you may not realize all the chemicals that surround you. Whether it’s in your bleach, wood polish, or batteries, everyday our families come into contact with toxins that may be harmful to our health. Here are a few tips from the National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Poison Control Centersto help keep us safe:

•Be careful with your medicines: Keep medicines out of your children’s reach. Consider securing them with a safety lock or placing them in an upper cabinet.

•Read and follow directions: When it comes to using household products or taking medicines always read and follow directions on the caution label. Remember, taking outdated medicines may not only be ineffective, but dangerous.

•Keep household products out reach: It’s easy for children to access household products like detergents and dishwasher pods if they’re stored under the sink. As with medicines, keep these products out of children’s reach.

•Safely store products: Never store household or chemical products in food containers—this may cause confusion for your family members. If possible, place items in separate areas to avoid mixing up products. 

•Wear protective gear: If you’re spraying chemicals like pesticides, wear protective clothing to prevent chemicals from being absorbed into your skin. 

•Keep the Poison Help number handy: Program the Poison Help number into your cell phone or home phone for times of emergency. If you ever come into contact with something that may be poison, immediately call 1-800-222-1222.

For additional safety information, please visit American Association of Poison Control Centers at http://www.aapcc.org.