Selection, Use and Storage Of Hazardous Household Products Select the right product . . .
When you go shopping for products, your selection can be your first step toward minimizing danger. Follow these guidelines:
Read the label. Make sure you want the product. Are the ingredients safe to use in and around your home?
Make sure the product will do the job you need to have done.
Buy the least hazardous product for the job. Let the signal words (Poison, Danger, Warning, Caution) be your guide.
Check the label to see if a product has several uses. Then you can avoid buying a different product for each job.
Avoid aerosol products. Aerosol products may contain hazardous or toxic propellants, and the fine mist that they produce may be more easily inhaled.
Pressurized cans cause problems or explode when they are crushed, punctured or burned.
Make sure you know how to properly dispose of the container.
Remember, the word "non-toxic" is for advertising only. It does not mean the product meets any federal regulations for non-toxicity.
Use it safely . . .
It may be impossible to totally eliminate hazardous products in your home. The following guidelines will help you when using hazardous products to keep your home and
environment safe.
Read the directions on the label and follow them. Twice as much doesn't mean twice the results.
Use the product only for the tasks listed on the label.
Wear protective equipment recommended by the manufacturer.
Handle the product carefully to avoid spills and splashing. Close the lid as soon as the product is used. This will control vapors and reduce chances of spills. Secure lids tightly.
Use products in well-ventilated areas to avoid inhaling fumes. Work outdoors if possible. When working indoors, open windows. Use a fan to circulate the air toward the outside. Take plenty of fresh-air breaks. If you feel dizzy, headachy or nauseous take a break and go outside.
Do not eat, drink or smoke while using hazardous products. Traces of hazardous chemicals can be carried from hand to mouth. Smoking can start a fire if the product is flammable.
Do not mix products unless directions indicate that you can safely do so. This can cause explosive or poisonous chemical reactions. Even different brands of the same product may contain incompatible ingredients.
Use it all up.
If pregnant, avoid toxic chemical exposure as much as possible. Many toxic products have not been tested for their effect on unborn infants.
Avoid wearing soft contact lenses when working with solvents and pesticides. They can absorb vapors and hold the chemical near your eyes.
Carefully and tightly seal products when you have finished.
Escaping fumes can be harmful and spills can occur.
Most important of all: Use common sense.
Leave the product in its original container with original label attached.
Never store hazardous products in food or beverage containers.
Make sure lids and caps are tightly sealed.
Store hazardous products on high shelves or in locked cabinets out of reach of children and animals.
Store incompatibles separately
Keep flammables away from corrosives.
Store volatile products—those that warn of vapors and fumes in a well-ventilated area, out of reach of children and pets.
Keep containers dry to prevent corrosion.
Store rags used with flammable products (furniture stripper, paint remover, etc.) in a sealed marked container.
Keep flammable products away from heat, sparks or sources of anything that could ignite them.
Know where flammable materials in your home are located and know how to extinguish them.
In Summary
An astounding array of hazardous products can be found in and around our homes. They are in common, everyday household products as well as in pesticides. While we cannot eliminate all contact with toxic materials we can minimize the contact.
Make informed decisions about the selection, use and storage of hazardous products.
Remember hazardous products may be: flammable, explosive/reactive, corrosive/caustic, toxic/poisonous or reactive.
Learn to read the labels. Look for the signal words. POISON means highly toxic.
DANGER means extremely flammable or corrosive or highly toxic. WARNING or CAUTION means less toxic.
Lastly, use common sense when using and storing hazardous products to decrease the potential health hazards and pollution.
Safety Data Sheets
The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) (formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs) to communicate the hazards of hazardous chemical products. As of June 1, 2015, the HCS will require new SDSs to be in a uniform format, and include the section numbers, the headings, and associated information under the headings below:
Section 1, Identification includes product identifier; manufacturer or distributor name, address, phone number; emergency phone number; recommended use; restrictions on use.
Section 2, Hazard(s) identification includes all hazards regarding the chemical;
required label elements.
Section 3, Composition/information on ingredients includes information on chemical ingredients; trade secret claims.
Section 4, First-aid measures includes important symptoms/ effects, acute, delayed;
required treatment.
Section 5, Fire-fighting measures lists suitable extinguishing techniques, equipment;
chemical hazards from fire.
Section 6, Accidental release measures lists emergency procedures; protective equipment; proper methods of containment and cleanup.
Section 7, Handling and storage lists precautions for safe handling and storage, including incompatibilities.
Section 8, Exposure controls/personal protection lists OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs); Threshold Limit Values (TLVs); appropriate engineering controls; personal protective equipment (PPE).
Section 9, Physical and chemical properties lists the chemical's characteristics.
Section 10, Stability and reactivity lists chemical stability and possibility of hazardous reactions.
Section 11, Toxicological information includes routes of exposure; related symptoms, acute and chronic effects; numerical measures of toxicity.
Section 12, Ecological information*
Section 13, Disposal considerations*
Section 14, Transport information*
Section 15, Regulatory information*
Section 16, Other information, includes the date of preparation or last revision.
OSHA training on new SDS format can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCI7XXExs7s
Preventing Burns and Scalds
Make sure heaters and radiators are never too close to flammable objects such as draperies or bedclothes.
People who live in the home and use space heaters or electric blankets should know how to regulate temperatures and turn them off when they are not in use.
Note: Space heaters can be hazardous and their use must be closely monitored.
Hot Water and Burns
A persons’ intellect, perception, memory, judgment, or awareness may hinder his/her ability to recognize a dangerous situation.
People may not be able to appropriately respond and remove themselves from a tub filled with hot water.
People respond differently to water
temperature. What feels warm to one person will feel hot to another.
Some people have reported that water over 100 o F feels very hot and have reported feeling pain when water temperatures reach 103o F.
Public Health standards state that water from the taps be no warmer than 110o.
How to Test Your Water Temperatures
Follow the thermometer manufacturer’s recommended instructions for use.
Measure the hot water temperature prior to heavy use, or at least one hour after, so the hot water heater has time to recover and heat to its set
temperature.
To insure accuracy, do not hold the thermometer under the running water to measure the temperature.
Allow the hot water to run for a sufficient amount of time to ensure the water is at its hottest temperature.
Fill a bowl or cup with hot water.
Immediately immerse the end of the thermometer completely into the contained water.
Keep the thermometer in the water until the measurement has stabilized (30 to 60 seconds), then read the temperature.
Water temperature should be tested as often as necessary to ensure people’s’ safety.
How to Prevent Scald Burns
Check water temperatures daily at various points to ensure that the temperature of hot water available to individuals at shower, bathing, and hand washing facilities does not exceed 110 o F.
Limit access to water temperature controls
Water heater thermostats may not be very reliable. Most are marked low-medium-high and do not indicate exact water temperature.
Install mixing valves and aqua stats on plumbing systems
Install anti-scald devices on faucets and showerheads. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for proper maintenance and calibration of anti-scald devices.
When filling the bathtub, mix the water thoroughly and check the temperature by moving your elbow, wrist, or hand (with fingers spread) through the water before allowing someone to get in.
Provide constant supervision to anyone who may experience difficulty removing themselves from hot water or people who may not recognize the dangers associated with turning on the hot water.
Be certain that the water temperature in the house is at a safe level and that all of the people who live there can mix hot and cold water to the correct
temperature. If they are unable to do so, then ensure that the water
If Water Hotter than 110 Degrees is Needed. . .
If you set the water temperature at 110o, do you see any issues that might cause a problem? (Dishwasher not able to work properly.) Solution to this problem include:
Install a second hot water heater (If you install a second hot water heater, do not hook into the flue from an existing gas hot water heater.)
o Install tempering valves on faucets/shower heads.
o Install anti-scald devices at the faucets and shut off valve.
o Install an “on demand” water heater.
Transport Safety
Assisting People with Hearing Impairments:
Approach the individual from the front.
Speak in normal tone. Do not use exaggerated mouth movements.
Use universal signs that indicate directions.
Carry and use pad and pen or pencil, if necessary.
Assisting People with Mobility Issues:
If the person has a cane, assist on the opposite side as the cane.
If the person has a walker, ask on which side they would prefer to be helped.
Ask the individual to grasp your arm with both hands.
Spread your legs to shoulder width.
Bend your knees, keep your back straight, lean back & use your body weight to help lift.
Assisting People who use a Wheelchair
When assisting an individual in a wheelchair into a vehicle:
Always back the chair onto the lift
Always set the chair brakes before lifting it onto or off a bus
Keep one hand on the chair at all times if you choose to ride the lift
Always face the individual being loaded
Be sure the safety barrier at the front of the lift is activated when the lift is in an
“up” position