Posted by Charlotte Salter, on June 21, 2023.
Families in Birmingham are being urged to take action to store their household cleaning products safely, in a home safety campaign run by the Royal Society for the Prevention Accidents (RoSPA) and the UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKCPI).
The latest phase of the Take Action Today, Put Them Away campaign was launched on 20th June 2023.
Take Action Today, Put Them Away advice to parents includes:
• Store household cleaning products out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard
• Always store chemicals in their original containers
• Never pierce or break laundry capsules or tablets
• Always close the lid of any product
• In the event of an incident, follow advice on the product pack and seek medical attention.
A successful campaign
This latest launch follows the scheme’s success in 34 areas of the UK including Liverpool, King’s Lynn, Nottingham, Newcastle, Bradford, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, and Northern Ireland where 500,000 families have been helped to prevent poisoning and eye injuries.
In Birmingham, accidental poisonings accounted for 375 emergency admissions for 0 – 4-year-olds between 2018/19- 2020/21.
As part of the campaign, a handy magnetic notepad featuring key safety advice will be handed out to thousands of families by the local Birmingham Forward Steps Children centres in the local area.
Ashley Martin, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: “The notepad acts as a constant reminder in family kitchens to store cleaning products out of reach, out of sight and in a locked cupboard.
“Due to their inquisitive nature, children under the age of five are most at risk of accidentally swallowing or getting household cleaning products, like liquid laundry capsules, into their eyes. Even products with a child-resistant closure cannot guarantee safety – they only reduce the risk by delaying access to the product.”
Philip Malpass, from the industry’s trade body, the UKCPI, said: “Cleaning products are designed to be safe to use and to provide the clean and hygienic home we often take for granted today. The accidents we see involving young children and cleaning products are avoidable and whilst the severity of the injuries are generally low, we hope that this campaign will remind parents to follow the usage instructions on the packaging, and in so doing, avoid unnecessary accidents.”
Mellissa Gaskin, Children Centre Manager, said: “As Birmingham Forward Steps we are happy to be working in partnership with RoSPA in spreading the key messages around the Take Action Today campaign and reaching the families we serve in our communities”.
About UKCPI
UKCPI is the leading trade association representing UK producers of cleaning and hygiene products, providing expert and balanced information about cleaning and hygiene in the home and in the workplace.
Further information on the Take Action Today campaign can be found at: https://www.ukcpi.org/take-action-today/
For more details about the UKCPI, visit www.ukcpi.org
