Health

GUARDIANS ENCOURAGED TO CORRECTLY STORE HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS

By Thulasizwe City of Ekurhuleni 328

The City of Ekurhuleni cautions parents and guardians to be careful when handling hazardous household chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides after the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) recorded a concerning number of incidents of food poisoning.

Most cases of food poisoning in children trace back to having some form of exposure or contact with pesticides and herbicides.

“Pest poison and herbicides are amongst the hazardous substances that people generally have in their households, and in unfortunate cases result in poisoning in children because of inadequate storage.

“We plead with residents to store them out of reach of minors, keep them in their original package, and refrain from storing them in soft drink bottles or other containers as children or others may mistake them for food,” explains the city’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini. 

The city’s environmental health practitioners provide education and awareness on safe handling and storage of chemicals, and encourage residents to:

  • Store pesticides in their original containers with the label, which lists directions for use, ingredients, and first aid steps in case of accidental poisoning;
  • Use child-resistant packaging correctly  by closing the container tightly and keep it out of children’s reach;
  • Never reuse empty pesticide containers;
  • Never pour pesticides down the sink, toilet, or sewer lines.

In the events of suspected poisoning, residents are advised to immediately call the 24-hour Poison Help line 0861 555 777 to be connected to a poison expert  who will guide them.