Spring cleaning means airing and de-cluttering and scrubbing and shining. With all that cleaning and tossing going on, the Environmental Protection Agency has declared March 20 through March 27 Poison Prevention Week as a way to remind everyone to take care to avoid accidental poisonings, especially of children.
The campaign's "Children Act Fast … So Do Poisons" theme highlights that accidents happen in the blink of an eye, so prevention is the best protection.
"Most exposures that occur in the home can be prevented or substantially reduced through proper and safe storage, use and supervision of all household products," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Find out what's happening in West Orangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to the EPA, leading causes of poisonings include cosmetics such as perfume and nail polish, deodorant and soap, household cleaning products and medications.
One simple way to substantially reduce risks is to limit the number of poisons in the home. Safer options like vinegar for shining and disinfecting and baking soda for scrubbing pose fewer risks. I talked about some ideas for "greener" cleaning in a previous column .
Find out what's happening in West Orangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Along with purchasing safer products, residents can protect their children by removing the items that are not being used from the home," said West Orange Health Officer Theresa M. De Nova. "Residents should also protect the environment by discarding old or unused potentially hazardous household chemicals safely and properly by bringing them to the Essex County household hazardous waste disposal days."
The spring 2011 hazardous waste collection day is scheduled for May 7.
As well as prevention, it's important to be prepared to take action if an accident happens.
Due to my brother's unquenchable scientific curiosity, my mom kept the Poison Control Hotline number taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet throughout my childhood. Fortunately, none of the questionable items he accidentally ingested, blew up or squirted into his eye resulted in serious injury.
The EPA recommends that anyone who has been exposed to a pesticide or other toxic substance and may be experiencing non-life-threatening symptoms should call the free National Poison Center hotline at 1-800-222-1222. In case of more serious exposures, call 911.
If you call the poison center hotline from a New Jersey-based phone, your call will be answered by a health care professional from the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES), also known as the NJ Poison Control Center. This 24/7 center is run out of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. The NJPIES site says that no question or worry is too small to call.
Most poison prevention tips apply to pets as well. Ask your veterinarian for the poison prevention and treatment advice that's right for your pet. The ASPCA offers pet poisoning prevention tips and an Animal Poison Control Center hotline at 1-888-426-4435. Fees may apply for this service.
More information on poison prevention in English and Spanish is available on the EPA's site, including a "Poison-Proof Your Home One Room at a Time" room-by-room checklist to identify poisoning sources and action steps.
Happy (and safer) spring cleaning!
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March 27 Geothermal System Tour
Thomas Edison's Glenmont estate in Llewellyn Park has a geothermal energy system to use the energy stored in the earth to help heat and cool the house. The system was installed by the National Park Service during the home's recent renovation. You can learn about this environmentally friendly system with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Edisons' basement on Sunday. Half-hour tours are scheduled at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Ticket details and fees.
