Poison Lookout Checklist

The home areas listed below are the most
common site of accidental poisonings. Follow
this checklist to learn how to correct situations
that may lead to poisonings. If you answer
"No" to any questions, fix the situation quickly.
Your goal is to have all your answers "Yes."

THE KITCHEN Yes No

Do all harmful products in the cabinets have child-resistant caps? Products _____ _____
like furniture polishes, drain cleaners and some oven cleaners should have
safety packaging to keep little children from accidentally opening the
packages.


Are all potentially harmful products in their original containers? There are _____ _____
two dangers if products aren't stored in their original containers. Labels on
the original containers often give first aid information if someone should
swallow the product. And if products are stored in containers like drinking
glasses or pop bottles, someone may think it is food and swallow it.


Are harmful products stored away from food? If harmful products are _____ _____
placed next to food, someone may accidentally get a food and a poison
mixed up and swallow the poison.


Have all potentially harmful products been put up high and out of reach of _____ _____
children? The best way to prevent poisoning is making sure that it's
impossible to find and get at the poisons. Locking all cabinets that hold
dangerous products is the best poison prevention.


THE BATHROOM Yes No

Did you ever stop to think that medicines could poison if used improperly? _____ _____
Many children are poisoned each year by overdoses of aspirin. If aspirin
can poison, just think of how many other poisons might be in your
medicine cabinet.


Do your aspirins and other potentially harmful products have _____ _____
child-resistant closures? Aspirins and most prescription drugs come with
child-resistant caps. Check to see yours have them, and that they are



properly secured. Check your prescriptions before leaving the pharmacy to
make sure the medicines are in child-resistant packaging. These caps have

been shown to save the lives of children.
Have you thrown out all out-of-date prescriptions? As medicines get
older, the chemicals inside them can change. So what was once a good
medicine may now be a dangerous poison. Flush all old drugs down the
toilet. Rinse the container well, then discard it.
_____ _____
Are all medicines in their original containers with the original labels?
Prescription medicines may or may notlist ingredients. The prescription
number on the label will, however, allow rapid identification by the
pharmacist of the ingredients should they not be listed. Without the
original label and container, you can't be sure of what you're taking. After
all, aspirin looks a lot like poisonous roach tablets.
_____ _____
If your vitamins or vitamin/mineral supplements contain iron, are they in
child-resistant packaging? Most people think of vitamins and minerals as
foods and, therefore, nontoxic, but a few iron pills can kill a child.
_____ _____

THE GARAGE OR STORAGE AREA Yes No

Did you know that many things in your garage or storage area that can be _____ _____
swallowed are terrible poisons? Death may occur when people swallow
such everyday substances as charcoal lighter, paint thinner and remover,
antifreeze and turpentine.


Do all these poisons have child-resistant caps? _____ _____
Are they stored in the containers? _____ _____
Are the original labels on the containers? _____ _____
Have you made sure that no poisons are stored in drinking glasses or pop _____ _____


bottles?


Are all these harmful products locked up and out of sight and reach?


When all your answers are "Yes," then continue this level of poison protection by making
sure that, whenever you buy potentially harmful products, they have child-resistant
closures and are kept out of sight and reach. Post the number of the Poison Control
Center near your telephone.