First aid: the most effective ways to prevent poisoning

By Cristiano Antonino On Feb 27, 2023

Poisoning in the home environment: many poisonings occur in the home and office and it is essential to adopt simple methods to prevent them

There are many items that can cause poisoning, including drugs, make-up items, care products, fertilisers, chemicals, alcohol, cleaning products and many others.

It is important to prevent poisonings from occurring: here are the main reasons

More than 90% of poisonings occur in the home.

No matter a person’s age or education, anyone can be poisoned.

More than 60% of poisonings involve children under the age of 5.

Poisoning is the leading cause of death from harm worldwide.

The best ways to prevent poisoning

Medicines

Keep potentially poisonous drugs locked away and out of reach of children.
Do not share prescribed drugs with others.
Do not remove drugs from their original containers, but keep them properly labelled and stored.
Mouthwash should be kept away from children
Make sure not to prepare or administer medication in the dark.
Dispose of empty medication containers properly

Household products

Keep all products in their original containers and label them properly.
Keep potentially poisonous household items locked away and out of reach of children.
Do not put poisonous household items in food containers.
Cosmetics and personal hygiene products should be kept out of the reach of children.
Laundry products must be properly labelled and kept out of reach of children.
Do not put cleaning products in old soda bottles or containers with food labels.
Be careful with products such as hairspray, perfume, shoe polish, nail polish remover and hair dye.

Carbon monoxide

Install a carbon monoxide detector in the house, near the oven and bedrooms.

Chemicals

Keep all chemicals and potentially poisonous substances properly labelled, locked in high cupboards and out of reach of children.
Do not create dangerous gases by mixing household products and chemicals.
Keep automotive products out of reach of children
Do not leave cleaning products unattended during household cleaning
Dispose of used batteries properly

Food and drink products

Ensure that hands and counters are properly washed before preparing food.
Store food at the correct temperatures; refrigerated food should not be left above 40 degrees F (5 degrees C).
Use clean utensils for serving and cooking
Use safety locks for all cabinets used to store poisonous and hazardous materials.
Do not allow children to have access to drinks containing alcohol.

Insects, animals and plants

Observe your surroundings for the presence of snakes, insects and poisonous plants and take measures to eliminate them.
Smoke the premises
Check the label of any insect repellent and make sure not to inhale it during application.
Do not put rat poison on the floor of your house.

What to do if someone ingests a poisonous substance

If you or someone else has ingested a poison, remove the substance remaining in the mouth.

Afterwards, administer water to the affected person.

If the poison has settled on the skin, quickly remove contaminated clothing and rinse the skin thoroughly with large amounts of water.

If the poison has been inhaled, get fresh air immediately.

If the venom has entered the eye, gently rinse the eye for 10 minutes with moderately warm water as soon as possible.

But most important of all: in the event of suspected poisoning, call the emergency services immediately: they will certainly know how to give the most appropriate instructions depending on the case.

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