Antifreeze, coolants, and windshield washer fluid are highly toxic for human and for pets. Store them where kits and pets are not allowed.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)- The Silent Killer Homeowners should have their complete heating systems checked before every heating season. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn completely. Heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles, grill or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of CO, even if the garage door is open.
Symptoms: Severe headaches become dizzy, confused, nauseated; the person could faint or even die. Low levels can cause sleepiness, shortness of breath, mild nausea, and mild headaches and may have long-term effects on your health. Since many of these symptoms are similar to those of the flu, food poisoning, or other illness, you may not think that carbon monoxide poisoning could be the cause. Often, several members of the same family or those in the same building will complain of similar symptoms. Every home should have at least one working carbon monoxide detector.
Medicine Cabinet- Winter is a good time to clean out the medicine cabinet. Check the expiration dates on all medicines and get rid of expired medicines (including antibiotics are treatment is completed).
Medication Disposal- Take leftover medications out their original container, put them in a small plastic bag, add a little water, some coffee grounds or kitty litter, seal it and put in a brown bag and throw in the trash. Prescription pain medications (not patches), antidepressants, ADHD/ADD medications are still, best to be flushed down the toilet (after removed from the bottle)
Cough and Cold-Fall and winter’s bluster, rain, cold and snow can mean coughs, flu, and visits to the pharmacist for prescriptions. Be aware of medicines and their hazards to children. Almost 50% of children’s exposures to poisoning involve medications. Keeping medicines out of sight and out of everyone’s reach is the single most effective step one can take to prevent poisonings.
The best prevention is to wash everyone’s hands often with soap and water. As an alternative, hand sanitizers could be used. Caution: make sure this substance air dries completely. Hand sanitizers contain a lot of alcohol which is harmful to children when ingested when they put their hands in their mouth. Adults could burn themselves by lighting a candle, cigarette or starting a fire right after using the product and not letting it dry first.
During cold and flu season, remedies are often found on counters or bed stands, which can be tempting to children. These medicines, as well as acetaminophen (Tylenol ®) and aspirin, can be toxic to children. Cold medicines and prescription pain medications are appealing to others as well. This is an alarming epidemic involving older kids, They are looking for any substance that can be used and abused to make them feel “high”. Keep medications locked up or well out of the reach of children.
Preventing taking too much medicine by reading the labels everytime before taking medicine and follow directions carefully. Many medications contain identical ingredients, so be careful when taking different medications and do not take more than directed! When taking other kinds of medications, especially for high blood pressure or depression, you should always check with your physician or pharmacist before using any cold remedy. There are potential interactions that can be life threatening.
Poison Proofing– A window ledge or counter top are not safe places for vitamins or supplements. Iron tables or vitamins with iron are examples of what could look like candy to a young child, yet can be very poisonous. The safest place for medicines is in a locked cabinet or box. If you must have containers without child-resistant closures, remember to lock them away from children’s reach.
Medication Safety Tips
Lawn Care Products: Chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers and other gardening products are very toxic. They require extreme caution while they are being used and when decisions are made about their storage and their disposal. Use protective covering while applying. Always store these products in their original containers in a place where kids and pets are not allowed to go. Always read the labels before using these products and follow directions carefully!
Plants: Many outdoor and indoor plants are poisonous. Children are attracted to plants by their colorful flowers and berries, which can be toxic. Identify the plants, bushes, and flowers in your yard and inside your home. Consider mushrooms found in one’s yard to be toxic. Teach children not to put plants, plant parts, berries or mushrooms in their mouth. Poisonous and non-poisonous mushrooms can look very similar; often only an expert can tell the difference. Contact the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for a list of toxic and non-toxic plants.
Spring Cleaning: When storing winter woolens, be aware that those mothballs are poisonous. Keep them out of the reach of children. Always keep an eye on children when using household cleaners. Most poisonings happen while using everyday products. Be aware of where you putting down that glass cleaner or the measured-out bleach when answering the phone or someone is at the door.
Washing your hands often with soap and water is the best defense against germs!
As an alternative, hand sanitizers could be used. Hand sanitizers contain a lot of alcohol which is harmful to children when ingested as they put their hands in their mouth. This product is also highly flammable. People have burned their hands as they were lighting a candle, cigarette or starting a fire/grill right after applying it. Make sure everyone’s hands are air-dried completely after using this product!
Petroleum based products (gasoline, kerosene, tiki-torch fluid, charcoal lighter fluid): these products are extremely toxic! Usually used for generators, lawn mowers, cars and for entertainment during outdoor cookouts. Store these products in a place where children do not have access. Never keep non-food items in food containers. Adults, as well as children have been poisoned drinking gasoline or motor oil from a bottle they thought contained pop/soda and had mistaken tiki-torch fluid for apple juice.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) – the silent killer: Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (like gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. With the warming weather, there come tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail. Any of these elements could knock down power lines, forcing people to use back-up generators. Heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles, grills or generators running in attached garages can also produce dangerous levels of CO, even if the garage door is open. Every home should have at least one working carbon monoxide detector placed close to bedrooms (you can buy it at local hardware stores or supermarkets).
Symptoms: severe headaches; becoming dizzy, confused, nauseated; the person could faint or even die. Low levels can cause sleepiness, shortness of breath, mild nausea, mild headaches, and may have long-term effects on your health. Since many of these symptoms are similar to those of the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses, you may not think that carbon monoxide poisoning could be the reason. Often, several members of the same family or those in the same building will complain of similar symptoms.
Hiking & Camping: How much fun is spending a weekend with family? A visit with “Mother Nature” is exciting for grownups and kids. So is for critters and pests. Use bug sprays as directed to keep away insects from exposed skin. Make sure there is no leftover food on your camp site that could be inviting crawling visitors. Wear appropriate shoes/boots and tuck in your pants to assure a safe hike in the woods. Bee stings, snake bites and similar nuisances are preventable like most other poisonings, however, when it happens, most people don’t think about calling a poison center. To get help fast, a quick call to 1-800-222-1222 will get you in touch with medical experts right away.
Food Safety: It’s grilling time! A lot of outdoor parties include tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks and other tasty things cooked on the grill. Use food thermometers to make sure that all meat products are cooked to the proper temperature. Cheese gauze or other light mesh materials are great to cover things on the picnic table for protection against flying insects. Use a table cover to protect against crawling critters.
Store raw meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. Remove the meat 20 minutes before grilling to allow it to come to room temperature. Marinate meat in the refrigerator, not on the countertop.
• Trim excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.
• Never use cooking sprays around a lit grill.
• Make sure your grill is hot before adding the meat. Allow about 10 minutes for a gas grill to heat up and
about 30 to 40 minutes if you are using charcoal.
Grilling Guides
How Hot Should It Be?
Here’s a quick reference for the minimum safe temperature any cut of meat should reach – whether it’s cooked in the oven or on a grill.
| Product | Minimum Internal Temperature & Rest Time |
|---|---|
| Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb Steaks, chops, roasts | 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes |
| Ground Meats | 160 °F (71.1 °C) |
| Ground Poultry | 165 °F |
| Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) | 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes |
| Fully Cooked Ham (to reheat) | Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140 °F (60 °C) and all others to 165 °F (73.9 °C). |
| All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing) | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Eggs | 160 °F (71.1 °C) |
| Fish & Shellfish | 145 °F (62.8 °C) |
| Leftovers | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
| Casseroles | 165 °F (73.9 °C) |
