Stay Safe - A Safety Education Guide to Household Chemical Products for Children 5 to 9 years of age

C. … To STAY SAFE (continued)

Activities to take home - Grade 3 and 4

Sample Letter¹

Grades 3, 4

Dear Parents:

Did you know that for school age children, more than 40% of injury-related emergency room visits are for injuries occurring at home? Many of the more serious injuries involve common household chemical products found in many locations in your home - in the kitchen, the bathroom, the basement or the garage.

Children are eager to explore and take on new challenges. We know this often exposes them to some risk.The risk associated with the improper handling of household chemical products can be minimized. Most injuries due to these products can be prevented simply by making sure these products are stored safely - out of reach and out of sight.

This [week] we are learning to recognize the hazard symbols found on household products containing harmful chemicals, to understand the hazard and to choose the safest action to take when we find these products.

The slogan/message we are teaching your child is:

• STOP! …when you see a container. Don't Touch!
• LOOK! …for the hazard symbol.
• STAY SAFE! …go get a grown-up.

We are also encouraging the children to help friends, family and pets STAY SAFE by keeping them away from labeled containers until a grown-up can place the container out of reach and out of sight. Finally, because children want to make decisions on their own, we are reminding them to "Check your choice. Are you are making a STAY SAFE decision? (Ask a grown-up)."

We hope you can help us reinforce this message at home with your child by doing the activities attached to this letter. We have also included tips to help you make sure your family stays safe, what to do if someone is exposed to a chemical hazard, as well as instructions for the activity your child is bringing home.

If you have any questions about the activities, or if you would like more information on this topic, please call me.

Sincerely,

P.S.

• Are your household chemical products stored safely - out of reach and out of sight?
• Do you have your local Poison Control Centre and Emergency Services numbers posted by the telephone?

¹ Attach the Fact Sheets found in Appendix C.