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HUMAN SAFETY LABELING How to Read It and Understand It! For the consumer, the human safety information is one of the most important features of the label. In fact, to ensure accurate safety labeling, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act governs how precautionary statements are used on household cleaning product labels. The Act requires that human safety information follow a standard format which is explained below. (Keep in mind that these statements are only related to human saftey, not environmental safety.) Most household cleaning products are not dangerous; in fact, many do not carry any precautionary statements.
This is
because no major harm would be done by being exposed to or by swallowing small amounts of the product. Many
window cleaners, fabric softeners and some hand dishwashing detergents fall into this category. But what about
those
products that do include precautionary statements? Exactly what kind of human safety information can be found
on a
cleaning product label?
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| Degree of hazard | Uses a "signal word" to denote the extent of a potential hazard |
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| Specific hazard | Explains the possible consequences that could occur if the product is misused |
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| Precautionary measures |
Describes actions to be taken or avoided |
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| The statement "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN" or its equivalent |
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| First aid instruction |
Included when necessary or appropriate |
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Appropriate handling, storage and disposal instructions |
Included if they are relevant to the hazard |
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