Young children are at a high risk of poisoning and according to the Kidsafe WA website, hundreds of children are treated for poisoning every year - most commonly due to toxic substances found around the home.
A poison is a substance that can cause injury, illness or death if it enters the body. Poisons could be liquids, solids, gas or vapour fumes.
There are a number of ways poisons can enter the body including;
- Ingestion – through the mouth and digestive system (most commonly household poisons and pills)
- Inhalation – of fumes through the mouth (smoke inhalation, chemicals)
- Absorption – of a chemical or plant extract through the skin (includes chlorine, hydrochloric acid and acetate)
- Injection – of toxins from venomous creatures or drugs (can include snake bites and drugs such as heroin)
The Kidsafe poisoning fact sheet can be downloaded at the link below, and explains how to prevent poisoning in your home.
If you are faced with a poisoning emergency in which the victim has collapsed or stopped breathing the first thing you should do is call 000.
Call the Poisons Information Centre if you, your child, a friend or a family member has come in contact with a poison on 13 11 26. It's open 24 hours a day.
If you have trouble speaking English phone 13 14 50 and the interpreter service will phone the poisons centre for you.
Safety Data Sheets
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is prepared by the manufacturers and importers of chemical products, and describes the chemical and any health hazards, precautions for safe handling and use, and first aid treatment.
You can access the SDS for a product by typing in the name of the product into a Google search.
An example Safety Data Sheet can be downloaded at the link below.