baby shark - BABY SAFETY TIPS - Poison Lookout Checklist

 BABY SAFETY TIPS

Poison Lookout Checklist

The home areas listed below are the most common site of accidental poisonings. Follow this checklist to learn how to correct situations that may lead to poisonings. If you answer "No" to any questions, fix the situation quickly. Your goal is to have all your answers "Yes." 

THE KITCHEN 

Do all harmful products in the cabinets have child−resistant caps? Products like furniture polishes, drain cleaners and some oven cleaners should have safety packaging to keep little children from accidentally opening the packages. _____ _____ 

Are all potentially harmful products in their original containers? There are two dangers if products aren't stored in their original containers. Labels on the original containers often give first aid information if someone should swallow the product. And if products are stored in containers like drinking glasses or pop bottles, someone may think it is food and swallow it. _____ _____ 

Are harmful products stored away from food? If harmful products are placed next to food, someone may accidentally get a food and a poison mixed up and swallow the poison. _____ _____ 

Have all potentially harmful products been put up high and out of reach of children? The best way to prevent poisoning is making sure that it's impossible to find and get at the poisons. Locking all cabinets that hold dangerous products is the best poison prevention. _____ _____ 

THE BATHROOM 

Did you ever stop to think that medicines could poison if used improperly? Many children are poisoned each year by overdoses of aspirin. If aspirin can poison, just think of how many other poisons might be in your medicine cabinet. _____ _____ 

Do your aspirins and other potentially harmful products have child−resistant closures? Aspirins and most prescription drugs come with child−resistant caps. Check to see yours have them, and that they are _____ _____ 

properly secured. Check your prescriptions before leaving the pharmacy to make sure the medicines are in child−resistant packaging. These caps have been shown to save the lives of children. Have you thrown out all out−of−date prescriptions? As medicines get older, the chemicals inside them can change. So what was once a good medicine may now be a dangerous poison. Flush all old drugs down the toilet. Rinse the container well, then discard it. _____ _____ 

Are all medicines in their original containers with the original labels? Prescription medicines may or may notlist ingredients. The prescription number on the label will, however, allow rapid identification by the pharmacist of the ingredients should they not be listed. Without the original label and container, you can't be sure of what you're taking. After all, aspirin looks a lot like poisonous roach tablets. _____ _____ 

If your vitamins or vitamin/mineral supplements contain iron, are they in child−resistant packaging? Most people think of vitamins and minerals as foods and, therefore, nontoxic, but a few iron pills can kill a child. _____ _____ 

THE GARAGE OR STORAGE AREA 

Did you know that many things in your garage or storage area that can be swallowed are terrible poisons? Death may occur when people swallow such everyday substances as charcoal lighter, paint thinner and remover, antifreeze and turpentine. _____ _____ 

Do all these poisons have child−resistant caps? _____ _____ 

Are they stored in the containers? _____ _____ 

Are the original labels on the containers? _____ _____ 

Have you made sure that no poisons are stored in drinking glasses or pop bottles? _____ _____ 

Are all these harmful products locked up and out of sight and reach? When all your answers are "Yes," then continue this level of poison protection by making sure that, whenever you buy potentially harmful products, they have child−resistant closures and are kept out of sight and reach. Post the number of the Poison Control Center near your telephone.