Safety precautionary measures when handling materials at home

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Today, I want to share the tips on how to handle the the materials healthful and safety.

We should always keep ourselves safe all the time. We can do this by keeping in mind these safety precautions in handling materials:

1. Keep the harmful substances like pesticides ang insecticides out of reach of children. They should be kept in a secure cabinet where only the adults have access.
2. Matches should not be played with. They can easily catch fire with other flammable materials like paper and cardboard.
3. Avoid contact with bleach and other harmful substances. Not only do these chemicals burn the skin but also if inhaled, their gas may cause dizziness. Wear gloves if you have to use them with adult supervision.
4. Should there be a chemical spill, call the attention of an adult and let him clean thr affected area. The chemical should never be wiped with bare hands.
5. Always be aware of the safety signs in laboratories at schools and in our homes.

A few tips that can help in our daily lives. Hope you can read it. Let support also this following people.

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Household products may contain potentially hazardous chemicals that must be used and disposed of properly to be safe.

It has been estimated that the typical home today contains more chemicals than the average chemical lab of 100 years ago. The introduction of “new and improved” formulas has given rise to some new and potentially hazardous product ingredients – chemicals which the average consumer may know little about.

Used industrially, these chemicals are subject to many health and safety standards. Yet, these same substances are used freely and sometimes carelessly in homes.

The problem with household hazardous substances can be divided into two issues:

Although many illnesses or adverse health effects associated with chemicals found in household products are relatively benign – headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation – some chemicals are associated with more serious conditions, such as respiratory infections, skin rashes, burns and cardiac problems. In addition, consumers need to be aware that some chemicals produce delayed reactions. You may not realize that the headache you are experiencing is the result of a household cleaner used an hour or more earlier.

Most consumers rely on product labels for information about the safety of the product. Labels do not always provide complete and accurate information needed to balance the benefit against the potential risk when selecting a product for home use. Consumers should assume a product contains a potentially hazardous ingredient if the label bears any of the following signal words: Danger, Poison, Flammable, Caution, Warning, Acid or Pesticide. For a list of household hazardous product examples from Michigan State University Extension, see “Managing Hazardous Household Products” in their bookstore.

The Federal Hazardous Substances Act (HSA) is the law that establishes labeling requirements for consumer products containing hazardous ingredients (except pesticides). By definition, under this law, a hazardous substance is any substance or mixture of substances that is toxic, corrosive, an irritant, flammable or combustible, a strong sensitizer, generates pressure, is radioactive or can cause substantial personal injury or illness.

Ingredients on household cleaning product labels must be listed as “active” or “inert.” The term “active” applies to the ingredients that actually do what the product is intended to do. For example, in a pesticide, the active ingredients are the chemicals that actually kill the pests. The term “inert” refers to any other substances in the product. These substances usually form a “vehicle” to make the active ingredients easy to apply. The inert ingredients can be as dangerous as the active ingredients. Many household cleaning products may be as much as 97 percent inert ingredients.

When using a product containing potentially harmful chemicals, follow these precautions to reduce exposure:

• Keep product in the original container. The label will indicate the product’s age and ingredients.
• Don’t overuse a product. More is not always better.
• Don’t leave containers open. Children and pets are curious and can spill or drink it.
• Use products in a well-ventilated area to avoid breathing any fumes.
• Don’t mix chemicals. Use one at a time to prevent potentially toxic gas from being produced when combined.
• Avoid using aerosols if possible. The particles can be inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream
• Wear protective clothing. Label recommendations are designed to prevent product from being absorbed into the skin.
• Be sensitive to reactions that may occur after using a product.

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For hazardous waste generators, understanding the basics for the safe handling of hazardous materials can keep your employees from catastrophic injury and your facility free from accidents and the fines that accompany them.

Because numerous injuries can result from improperly handling and storing materials, workers should also be aware of accidents that may result from the unsafe or improper handling of equipment as well as from improper work practices.

In addition, workers should be able to recognize the methods for eliminating the occurrence of such accidents.

Employers and employees should examine their workplaces to detect any unsafe or unhealthful conditions, practices, or equipment and take corrective action.

We’ve created a list of basic rules for you to evaluate your current work environment and discuss at your next safety meeting to ensure that your employees know how to handle materials safely.

What should your employees know before moving, handling, and storing materials?

For employees that will be working with hazardous chemicals in your workplace, proper training is crucial to keeping them and the other workers in your facility safe.  Here are a few guidelines before getting started handling toxic substances in your facility:

• Follow all established procedures and perform job duties according to your training.
• Be cautious and plan ahead. Prepare for things that could go wrong and pay close attention to what you’re doing while you work.
• Always use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Make sure to inspect it carefully before each use to make sure it’s suitable. Replace worn out or damaged PPE that won’t provide adequate protection.
• Learn about emergency procedures. Understanding emergency procedures means knowing evacuation procedures, emergency reporting procedures, and procedures for dealing with fires and spills.
• Know what to do in a medical emergency, if a co-worker is injured or overcome by chemicals.
• Keep you and your work area clean. After handling any material, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean work surfaces at least once a shift so that contamination risks are minimized.
• Never eat or drink while handling any materials, and if your hands are contaminated, don’t use cosmetics or handle contact lenses.

Understanding the Hazardous Materials in Your Facility

Employees should understand the potential hazards of each chemical and substance that they will be working with and how to control their workplace to minimize any danger.

Employees can understand their risks in several ways, but the following rules should be implemented.

• Make sure all containers are properly labeled and that the material is contained in an appropriate container. Don’t use any material that is not contained or labeled properly. Report any damaged containers or illegible labels to your supervisor right away.
• Read labels and the material safety data sheet (MSDS) before using any material to make sure you understand hazards and precautions.
• Use all materials solely for their intended purpose. Don’t, for example, use solvents to clean your hands, or gasoline to wipe down equipment.

Storage and Collection Areas

Improperly managed central storage and satellite accumulation points that are not managed properly can lead to big fines by federal and state regulators and can be the cause of accidents. It is important to pay careful attention to how these areas are managed.  

Here are some best practices:

• Make sure all waste is properly marked as hazardous.
• Keep lids on containers always. The term “closed” means leak proof and vapor tight. 
• Store all materials properly, separate incompatibles, and store in ventilated, dry, cool areas.
• Keep storage areas free from accumulated materials that cause tripping, fires, or explosions, or that may contribute to the harboring of rats and other pests
• Do not store more than 55 gallons in satellite accumulation points. Hazardous waste regulations allow you to store up to 55 gallons of hazardous waste at the point of generation provided that the operator has control over the waste. Any more than that and you could be fined during an inspection.

This is just a basic list of safety rules to keep your facility operating safely. You’ll undoubtedly have other safety rules to add to the list.

A good practice is to present these rules in your next safety meeting and get employees involved in helping you add to the list.

By getting their input, you can create a sense of ownership over your safe chemical handling rules.

To employees, they’ll be “our” rules rather than “their” rules. That way, people will be more likely to follow them.

What other rules do you have to add to the list?

Featured Image Credit: Photo by UC Rusal Photo Gallery | CC BY