In your standard household, multiple chemicals play an integral part in supporting its dwellers’ way of life.
They’re not there to merely establish a looming presence of its dangers. These chemicals consist of your everyday cleaning and gardening supplies, offering convenience and practical utility for a wide range of tasks.
Having said that, without proper care and consideration, these hazards can pose a threat if found in the wrong hands or if handled inappropriately. As such, parents should try to mitigate this risk at all costs.
Needless to say, abiding by strict storage processes for hazardous chemicals is something that needs to be upheld to maximise safety in the household. This not only keeps your family safe but also ensures you have peace of mind when staying on your property.
But are there other good chemical storage practices you need to follow? As a matter of fact, yes. Without further ado, let’s look through six ways that you can safely store chemicals in your young family’s home.
Identify All Hazards at Home
The first thing you have to do is to take inventory of all the hazardous goods present in your household.
A good way to tell whether a good is dangerous or not is if it comes with a hazard label. Otherwise, you can tell by looking at the nine different dangerous goods classifications and determine from there if any of your belongings fall into the “dangerous” category or not.
Most households typically only have a few chemical-based goods that may be deemed hazardous. These include cleaning supplies, some paints, pesticides, gas, lithium batteries, and liquid-based car products.
Start tallying your items and keep them in an easy-to-view spreadsheet. If you have anything beyond the above goods (such as construction materials, certain prescriptions, etc), then take note of them as well. Once you have these items all listed out, you can make a plan of action to control them.
Store Chemicals in Locked Cabinets
Once you’ve completed the list, it’s time to put all your hazardous goods in the right containers.
Before anything else, you should refrain from mixing hazardous items like acids and cleaners with consumable and perishable goods. This will help you avoid any mix-ups when cooking or consuming perishable products—which young ones may be susceptible to doing.
Fortunately, you can get an additional layer of safety by putting your hazardous goods in a specialty locked cabinet. These are heavy-duty storage units that can help you contain any potentially harmful substance from getting into the hands of the wrong people, like children or pets.
These cabinets can also be fitted with childproof locks or safety latches to prevent unauthorised access. This is especially useful if your house is small and easily navigable for your child. However, a good way to reinforce the security aspect of your cabinet is by putting it high vertically where can’t easily reach it.
In any case, having a cabinet designed for hazardous goods is crucial to keep your household safe. That said, keep in mind that multiple, indoor dangerous chemical storage cabinets may work for only a specific classification of dangerous goods—so be sure to check the properties of the cabinet and your household to ensure that you have the right one for the job.
Separate Reactive Chemicals
As a mode of precaution, ensure that you separate reactive chemicals in different storage compartments. Putting two reactive chemicals side by side can lead to a nasty reaction, particularly if they’re not sealed in their bottle or container tightly.
For instance, bleach and ammonia are two types of chemicals that are both used in similar situations—that is, for cleaning purposes. However, putting them close to one can cause accidental leaks into a harmful chlorine gas accident.
By keeping two reactive chemicals apart, you’re minimising the risk of potential accidents from occurring. This, in turn, can help transform your home into one that’s actively safe for you and your children.
Dispose of Chemicals Properly
Proper rubbish disposal is essential for creating a safe space for you and your children. Chemicals should never be disposed of in a general waste bin as this can lead to dangerous substances contaminating and reacting badly with soil and the broader environment.
Not to mention, placing these harmful chemicals in a general rubbish bin also exposes these dangerous and reactive substances to the household. This can be dangerous for children and pets who may rummage around rubbish bins.
Instead, strive to seal, control, and dispose of hazardous goods in a proper location. This should be an area that your kids and pets cannot access easily. Don’t put them on the curb or roadside as well, as this can expose your lawn and the air outside your home to a slew of bad chemicals.
Consider the type of chemical you’re dealing with before you dispose of it. In most cases, the packaging will come with specific instructions on how to throw it away. Typically, this would mean dropping them off at your local sorting centre.
If there are no specific instructions, then you should contact your local community recycling and sorting centre to get an idea of the best steps moving forward. By being responsible with how you handle waste, you can make your household and the broader community safe and a pleasant place to dwell in.
Know How To Deal With Leaks and Spillages
Even when you’ve exercised a good degree of precaution, accidents can and do happen. One big one is accidental spills. In case that scenario does occur, you should already know how to deal with this dangerous chemical before its contamination can cause issues around the house.
For starters, evacuate every soul from the room. This is to ensure their safety. Next, open any windows leading to the outside to serve as ventilation and retain airflow. Depending on the chemical, it’s often best to use protective gear like gloves and PPE equipment when you facilitate the cleanup process.
For minor spills, use absorbent materials to soak them up, and dispose of them in sealed bags. However, if there are two chemicals that have spilled, avoid using the same towel or rug to clean them up. Larger spills may require you to get in contact with a professional like a cleanup crew or a specialised dangerous goods consultant for a proper cleanup.
Educate Your Child on Safety
Last but not the least, educate your child on safety measures around the household, especially when dealing with chemicals. Your kids are independent individuals, and young as they are, they likely know what’s best for them and their welfare.
As such, set aside some time to explain to them the items around the household, and what’s dangerous and off-limits to them. Give them a lecture on the consequences of exposure to these chemicals.
For example, tell them to avoid the cleaning cabinet if they’re not old enough to know how to properly use these items to clean parts of the house. You can also lecture them on why a chemical cabinet may be off-limits to them.
Furthermore, you can tell them how exposure to these chemicals can be bad for their health. You can go into detail and say how an improper handling of gas may cause a house to spontaneously combust. This is usually enough to dissuade them from playing with these goods.
By letting them understand their limits, your kids will be more likely to respect the space you’ve established between them and the dangerous goods. In turn, this can foster a mindset of safety within the household for everyone involved.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-white-suit-holding-white-container-209230/
Recent Comments