Safety

Question 1

What products in your home can be harmful to you?

Answer 1

– medicines
- paint
- cleaning products
- pesticides
- cosmetic products
- certain garden plants

Question 2

Why are some products found in the home so dangerous?

Answer 2

• Household chemicals :
  made with special scent to cover up the smell of the chemicals –> they smell appealing –> tempts you to taste them, –> poison you & make ill
• Household cleaners :
  1. give off invisible fumes, which you inhale when you breath while using them –> can damage lungs, cause you to cough, give you a sore through and burn your eyes
  2. Household cleaners: made to clean off tough dirt –> very strong –> can burn your skin
• Medicines : taking incorrect dosage can make you ill / kill

Question 3

How do you keep yourself safe from harmful household products?
(6 points)

Answer 3

• do not eat/drink anything unfamiliar (even if smells appealing / shaped like a sweet)
• do not take anything from medicine cabinet without permission
• check with adult before using a cleaning product (know what it does, get permission)
• if you accidentally eat/drink something you are not meant to, call a poison control centre
• if a person who has eaten/drunk something they are not supposed to and are unconscious/struggling to breaht/vomittinng –> take to nearest hospital
• Medicines & poisonous cleaning chemicals: keep away from children i.e. lock in a high cupboard out of reach

Question 4

What are the poison control centres & their numbers?

Answer 4

• Red Cross children’s hospital (021) 689 5227
• Tygerberg hospital (021) 913 6129

Question 5

What does ‘irritant’ mean?

Answer 5

A substance that could burn or irritate your skin, eye and/or lungs

Question 6

How can you use an irritant safely?

Answer 6

• have supervision
• wear gloves to protect your skin
• use in a well ventilated room
• don’t hold your face too close to the product
• wear mask/goggles if you have

Question 7

Where do usually you find warning labels on cleaning products?

Answer 7

On the back of bottles

Question 8

Explain why it is important to read warning labels on cleaning products before using the product?

Answer 8

• so you know how to use it safely
• so you know what it contains, which is important info if you are poisoned with it or are allergic
• so you know what to do in case of an accident with it

Question 9

Household chemical labels. What must their bottles have on them, by law?

Answer 9

must have a warning label on them

Question 10

Discuss warning labels found on household chemicals.

Answer 10

• usually on the back of the bottle
• must be there, by law
• warning will be in big bold letters
• usually use read /black/yellow to make them stand out

Question 11

What do you do if you are unsure about what is inside a bottle?

Answer 11

• do not open it
• ask a grownup for help

Question 12

List some harmful household chemicals

Answer 12

• clearning products (like bleach or soap)
• medicines
• weed killer
• rat bait, snail bait and fly bait
• paint
• turpentine or methylated spirits
• cigarettes and alcohol
• pool chemicals

Question 13

List 4 words that tell you an item may be harmful.

Answer 13

• Dangerous
• Poison
• Caution
• Warning

Question 14

Why do we need to be careful and educated about fire safety?

Answer 14

Home fires can start and spread quickly

Question 15

Working smoke alarms reduce the chance of dying in a fire. How much do they reduce the chance by?

Answer 15

50%

Question 16

What is a important first step in fire safety?

Answer 16

have working smoke alarms

Question 17

How can you prevent a fires?
(6 points)

Answer 17

• In kitchen:
  1. use common sense;
  2. don’t leave hot oven/stove unattended;
  3. limit distractions when cooking
• Electrical:
  1. Do not stick metal objects into plug points
  2. Do not use damaged/broken electrical appliances
• Candles:
  blow out before leaving room / going to sleep
• Do not put clothing or towels over heaters
• Never play with matches or lighters
• Install smoke alarms and check often to be sure they are working

Question 18

How do you put out a fire?

Answer 18

Fires need oxygen to burn; you need to cut off oxygen supply to kill the fire.

Put out the fire with salt / water / fire extinguisher / sand / smother the fire with a heavy cloth or blanket

NB: cannot put out an oil-based fire with water (water will make it spit)

Question 19

What to do if a fire starts and you are alone?

(13 points)

Answer 19

• Exit building immediately (don’t run)
• Doors:
  1. Don’t touch if air is being sucked out or smoke coming out the top
  2. Feel closed doors from bottom to top with back of hand –>if hot don’t open or you will feed the fire more oxygen
• Stay as low to the ground as possible, this will give more fresh air
• Confine the fire by closing doors, windows, etc. when possible
• Don’t get too close to the fire
• Never turn your back on the fire (esp when going out)
• When you think you have extinguished the fire, check to be sure that it is out and stays out.
• personal safety is most important; don’t risk it
• don’t try to put out a large first (large = takes more than 5 seconds to put out). Just get out
• don’t enter a smoke-filled area
• call fire department asap
• only use a fire extinguisher if you know how