Keeping children safe from accidental poisoning 

Accidental poisoning is a risk for young children in the home. But many incidents can be prevented with careful storage of household products. In partnership with P&G, RoSPA is offering practical guidance for parents. Our advice covers keeping children safe from accidental poisoning involving medicines, cleaning products, and other potentially harmful substances.

Why are children at risk of accidental poisoning in the home?

Children are naturally inquisitive. Young children put things in their mouths to explore their environment and to gather information about textures, shapes, and tastes. This means that many everyday items - such as cleaning products, medicines, and garden chemicals - can pose a risk if children have access to them.

Some products can look or smell attractive to children. Bright colours and strong fragrances can make hazardous items appealing to a small child. This means they could mistake, for example, a laundry product for something to eat. Swallowing even a small amount of these products could cause significant injury.

Safe storage and handling are essential to protect children from accidental poisoning.

Are there behaviours that increase the risk of accidental poisoning?

Certain habits and behaviours can put children at greater risk of accidental poisoning. Leaving products within reach, using unlabelled containers to store products, or “decanting” (transferring things from one container to another) household chemicals and medicines into other packaging can make hazardous items more appealing or accessible.

Why is decanting products into other containers dangerous?

Decanting products into unlabelled containers or food packaging, such as biscuit tins, can increase the risk of accidental poisoning. RoSPA strongly recommends against this practice.

This is because children rely on visual cues. A biscuit tin or other food packaging could give the impression that the contents are edible. Products can also look more appealing when they have been removed from their original packaging. Cleaning liquids, laundry detergents and laundry pods can resemble drinks or sweets once they have been placed in unlabelled containers.

In addition, decanting removes key safety features. Original packaging with child-resistant closures is designed to slow down access to the product and will include hazard symbols and warnings. These features can play an important role in reducing harm and are lost when products are transferred into other containers. Some products, such as refill bags for liquids or capsules, do not come with these safety features. These should always be stored up high, out of reach and out of sight, ideally in a locked cupboard, and kept inside the original refill bag until they are used.

While young children cannot read or interpret hazard symbols, these warnings are important for adults. They provide guidance on safe use. Guidance includes correct amounts and what products not to combine, helping prevent accidental misuse or chemical reactions. Keeping products in their original packaging ensures adults have got this information available, reducing the risks of misuse.

If a child does swallow a product, a lack of original packaging can also present challenges. If a suspected poisoning has occurred, medical professionals use the product packaging to name the substance that has been swallowed and to decide the best course of medical treatment. Without it, it might be difficult to identify what has been swallowed.