Health Topics for Personal Safety

Department of Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center

Poison-proof your house

Your home contains many poisonous substances in many locations. There may be alcoholic beverages in the kitchen, toxic cleaners under the sink, potentially dangerous medicines and cosmetics in the bathroom, and various chemicals and solvents in the garage.

Young children, particularly from the ages of 18 months to age four or five, are very curious. They may eat or drink any of these substances. Children of this age are constantly exploring their environment. They are good climbers and can get to poisons even when kept in higher cabinets and cupboards.

There are a number of preventive actions you can take to "poison- proof" your home:

• Install childproof locks on cabinets and drawers that contain poisons. Get locks from the hardware store. They will still allow easy entry by an adult.
• Keep all medicines in containers with child-proof caps and in a locked cabinet. Discard old and unused medicines.
• Do not store medicines or chemicals in other containers. For example, do not put gasoline or anti-freeze in a soda bottle. To a child, it may look like soda pop and he may drink it.
• Do not store unlabeled containers in the refrigerator, or in the same cabinet where food is kept.
• Keep alcohol and cigarettes up where small children cannot reach them.
• Remove poisonous plants from the home and yard. Know the names of all your household plants and remove any that could cause sickness. Check with your local Poison Control Center if you need help identifying those that are dangerous if eaten.
• Make sure that visitors (especially grandparents) do not leave medications in their purse or suitcase where a child can find them.
• Contact your Poison Control Center and ask them to send you a comprehensive checklist for poison-proofing your home.
• Keep Syrup of Ipecac on hand. Periodically check the expiration date to make sure it will still be effective if you need to use it. Ipecac is sometimes given to cause vomiting after a poison is eaten. It should never be given without first checking with a healthcare provider or the Poison Control Center because some poisons should not be vomited.
• Know the numbers of the nearest emergency department and Poison Control Center, and post them near your telephone.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File PERS4867.doc.RF2 VRS# 4867 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 1999, 2002 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.