Household Poison Prevention is Possible!

Well Spring is in the air and with it our desire to clean and freshen our homes. As we tackle windows, floors, and countertops as part of the Spring-cleaning ritual, it’s important not to forget poison prevention.

We often neglect the dangerous poisons that we routinely keep in our kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, basements, and garages. However, if you have small children at home, common personal care products like household detergents could easily end up resulting in large-scale disasters.

Did you know that 374 children ages 0 to 19 are treated in the U.S. every day and two die as a result of poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is largely due to children ingesting personal care products, like cosmetics or household cleaning supplies.

To keep your family safe, here are ten poison prevention tips that can help you keep poisons out of the hands of your kids.

1. Never place poisonous products in food or drink containers.
2. Store medicine, cleaning, and laundry products, (including detergent packets) paints/varnishes and pesticides in their original packaging in locked cabinets or containers, out of sight and reach of children.
3. It’s best to use traditional liquid or powder laundry detergents instead of detergent packets until all children who live in or visit your home are at least 6 years old.
4. Keep all potentially dangerous products in cabinet doors that are secured with safety latches that automatically lock when you close a cabinet door. automatically with safety latches.
5. Purchase and keep all medicines in containers with safety caps. 
6. Discard unused medication. 
7. Check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. For liquid medicines​, use the dosing device that came with the medicine. Never use a kitchen spoon. 
8. If you use an e-cigarette, keep the liquid nicotine refills locked up out of children’s reach and only buy refills that use child-resistant packaging. A small amount of liquid nicotine spilled on the skin or swallowed can be fatal to a child. 
9. Know the names of all plants in your home and yard. If you have young children or pets, consider removing those that are poisonous.
10. Always Be Prepared. Keep the National Poison Control Center number, (800) 222-1222, in your cell phone contacts. The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We at Security Specialists Want You and Your Family to Stay Safe and Secure In Your Home!