Practicing Home Chemical/Hazardous Materials Safety

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  September 20, 2012

“Practicing home hazardous materials safety is important in preventing home fires. Many people use chemicals in their homes safely every day, but as the number of chemical products increases, the risk for improper use and injury also increases.”
–Source: US Fire Administration¹

There are many things that are important in keeping yourself and your family safe, the proper use and storage of everyday household cleaning chemicals is one of them. The Mesa Fire & Medical Department in Arizona has produced numerous videos on Fire Prevention in their wonderful What’s on Fire series, which everyone should see. WAXIE has been featured in their September episode #3 on proper chemical usage and storage procedures.

The first part of the video goes into:

• The top reasons why the fire department is called to someone’s home when chemicals are involved
• Keeping chemicals in a safe place away from children & what tools you can use to prevent children from accessing them
• Why mixing chemicals is a bad idea & what chemicals are commonly mixed accidentally
• What happens when certain chemicals are mixed, including the effects their exposure has on people
• Chemical storage spills
• Proper chemical disposal

The second half of the video features WAXIE Arizona’s Bob Gattis, who describes:

• Why chemical product labeling is important
• Why you should ALWAYS read a product’s label before using
• Why training on how to use chemicals is important
• Safety measures & precautions that can be applied at home
• Proper storage of chemicals

If you have any questions about using a particular chemical or want to know what personal protective equipment you should be using contact WAXIE. One of our WAXIE Account Consultants, Chemical Specialists & Equipment Specialists can provide on-site training, if needed, for you or your coworkers. Safety comes first & we want to make sure that you have all the information needed to use chemicals and cleaning supplies properly.

Occasionally our branches have seminars on chemical management that you can attend to learn more and ask questions. Seminars and other events are posted on our website under the Training tab.

To find info about proper chemical disposal in your area check out Earth911.com

Emergency chemical medical treatment hotline for WAXIE branded products Chem-Tel 1-800-255-3924.

REFERENCES
1. What's on Fire, September Episode, Segment 3 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3qgomPD3Qg&feature=plcp