Properly Storing Household Chemicals While Baby-Proofing

There are many things parents need to think about when baby proofing their house. With little fingers around and wondering eyes, children always seem to be interested in everything they can’t have, touch or play with. Make sure your home is safe from hidden dangers when little ones are around.

We often move precious breakables out of reach, but we should also make sure household chemicals are stored properly, locked out of sight and reach. Just a small amount of a chemical product can be harmful to a child.

Household chemical products such as bleaches, paint thinners, ammonia, detergents and abrasive cleaners are among the top causes of injuries and deaths in children under the age of five.

By following a few a simple steps, you can protect your child from accidental exposure to harmful household products.

Teach children that the hazard symbols on containers mean DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH!
Keep chemical products in a locked cabinet, out of the sight and reach of children. Never let children play with the containers.
Keep household chemical products in original containers and never mix them together. Do not transfer or store chemical products into beverage containers and never cover up or remove labels.
Keep all safety information.
Make sure that child-resistant closures are working properly.
Keep in mind that child-resistant closures are not child-proof.
Keep the phone number for the poison control centre by your telephone.

To report an incident, contact the manufacturer or retailer. You are also encouraged to contact Health Canada.

More tips on poison prevention can be found online at Canada.ca.