Tour a House
Avoid
bringing industrial strength chemicals into the home. Never take children into
areas where industrial strength chemicals are in use. Store medicines and poisons
out of reach and out of sight of children - a high, locked, or child resistant
cupboard is best.
Avoid
using rat bait pellets. Use products encased in a plastic bait station if required.
Keep out of sight and reach of children, such as under a washing machine or
refrigerator, or in the ceiling. Keep cockroach bait stations out of sight and
reach of children. When laying baits choose a position where they can't be accessed
by children or pets, such as under the washing machine or refrigerator.
Install
child resistant mechanisms on all doors where poisons or medicines are stored.
This will help keep them out of reach of chilren. Install child-resistant measures.
Do
not allow children to have access to toilet rim, cleaning blocks, or liquids.
Vaporiser
fluids, chest rubs, and essential oils can make children very sick if swallowed.
Their use does not have any proven benefits. Use only under doctor's recommendation.
Don't
take medication in front of children. Don't call medicine "lollies".
Never take medicines in the dark. Always read the label and take only as directed.
Return expired medicines, or ones that are no longer needed, to your local pharmacy
for disposal. Ask your pharmacist to dispense medicine in child resistant containers.
Contact
your local Council for advice on how to dispose of poisons.
Closely read the labels on poisons before you use them to ensure you have the right product for the right job. Follow the safety instructions and manufacturer's directions for use.
Don't
leave paint brushes to soak in mineral turpentine. Clean them immediately, or
keep them out of sight and reach of children until you can clean them properly.
Don't
store medicines in the fridge door. Keep medicines that require refrigeration
in a closed or locked container (eg: plastic containers, lockable computer disk
box) at the back of the fridge.
Try to buy poisons in child resistant packaging. Check that child resistant caps are working correctly. You may need to clean around the top of the bottle. Always tightly close and put away medicines and poisons after use. Never transfer poisons to another container, especilly drink or food containers.
Keep
the dishwasher door closed. Fill the detergent container only when you are ready
to turn it on, preferably when children are sleeping. Use brands that dissolve
well or remove any detergent left over after use before children have access
to dishwashers.
Liquid
and powdered ant killers are made with honey and other sweetening agents and
are very attractive to children and animals. Place them in positions where only
the ants can reach them. Ensure snail pellets cannot be eaten by children or
pets. You can buy special terracotta containers with space for the snails to
enter that can be half buried in the ground. Snail pellets containing a repellet
to cats and dogs are avalible.
Unpack
shopping bags immediately and put all medicines and poisons out of sight and
reach of children.
Inspect
your yard for mushrooms (sometimes called toadstools), especially after rain.
Pick and dispose of them in the garbage before children are allowed outside.
There are no effective chemical control agents to prevent mushrooms from growing
after the rain. Never pick mushrooms for eating from fields or gardens. There
is no easy way to identify which mushrooms or toadstools contain toxins and
there have been many cases of unintentional poisoning from hand-gathered mushrooms
served as part of a meal.
Always
keep the nametags of new plants and find out the botanical name of existing
plants in your house or garden. Common names are not reliable and may not identify
a plant or it's toxicity. Consider removing any that are poisonous or ensure
that children and pets cannot have access to them. Your local nursery or the
Queensland Herbarium can help with identification of plants. Always supervise
children's play in the garden and teach children not to eat flowers, fruit and
berries from garden plants.
Keep
the telephone number for the Poison Information Centre (13 11 26) handy. Find
the number in the White Pages and highlight it - it can be found on the inside
of the front cover and also listed alphabetically. You may want to store it
in the speed dial in your phone, or you may wish to order a Poison Information
Sticker to stick on your phone and personal telephone book.
Pets
get poisoned too. Ensure pets are kept away from poisons.
Indoor
plants can also cause poisoning. Avoid having indoor plants accessible to young
children and be aware of indoor plants in other people's homes when visiting
with small children. While small quantities of soil, potting mix and fertiliser
beads are low in toxicity, there are many plants where even a mouthful of leaves
or berries can cause poisoning.
Keep
ashtrays and cigarette packets out of sight and reach of children and pets.
Do not leave cigarette butts on the ground. Matches can cause illness if swallowed.
Keep matches out of sight and reach of children and pets.
Visitors'
bags may contain medicines. Have a lockable cupboard or a high, safe spot where
these can be kept.
Alcoholic
drinks can be dangerous to children if swallowed. Do not give children tastes
of alcoholic drinks. Store out of sight and reach of children.
Take
care when using pool chemicals such as chlorine. Avoid inhaling powder or liquid
or allowing it to contact the eyes. Do not use on windy days.
Supervise
children while playing in rock pools at the beach. They may contain dangerous
marine animals such as blue-ringed octopus or cone shells.
Inspect outdoor furniture, toys and cots for spiders, especially during warmer months (spider season). Teach children never to touch spiders, snakes, wasps, bees or ants.
Keep grass mown and clear all rubbish in areas where children will be playing. Encourage children to wear appropriate shoes to avoid bites and stings.
