Your home will probably have many hazardous materials. Go over your home to see where these materials are located. Use a list of dangerous, commonly used items, mentioned before, to guide you in your search.

After locating each product, verify the label and adopt the measures necessary to guarantee that the material is used, stored and disposed of according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It is crucial to store the domestic use chemical products in places outside of the reach of children. Remember that all
products such as aerosol cans of hair spray and deodorant, nail polish and nail polish remover, toilet cleaners and furniture polishing products, are classified within the dangerous material category.

Adopt protective measures

The following are guidelines to purchase and store domestic use chemicals safely:
Buy only the amount of chemical product that you need. The remaining material may be shared with neighbors or be donated to a company, charity or government organism. For example, you could offer the excess pesticide to a greenhouse or garden, and theatre crews often need paint. In some communities, waste exchanges have been organized, where dangerous chemicals and domestic waste can be given away or exchanged.

Store the products containing dangerous materials in their original containers and never remove the labels, unless the container is corroded.  The content of corroded containers should be repackaged and labeled clearly.

Never store dangerous products in food containers.

Never mix chemical products or dangerous domestic waste with other products. Incompatible substances, such as bleach and ammonia, may react, burn or explode.

Take the following precautions to prevent and respond to accidents:
Follow manufacturing instructions regarding correct domestic use of a chemical product.

Never smoke while using domestic chemical products.
Never use hairspray, cleaning products, paint products or pesticides near fire (e.g. the flame of a pilot, a lit candle, a chimney, a wood stove, etc.) Although fumes are not able to be seen or smelled, particles in the air might ignite or explode.

If a chemical product is spilt, clean it immediately. Use rags to clean the spilt liquid. Wear gloves and eye protection. Allow emanations in the rags to evaporate outside, and then dispose of the rags wrapping them in newspapers and placing them in a sealed plastic bag in the garbage.

Dispose of hazardous materials correctly. Take domestic hazardous materials to a local collection program. Ask in the solid waste or state or county environmental protection organism if there is a dangerous waste collection program in your area.

Learn to spot symptoms of toxic poisoning, which are the following:
Breathing difficulty.
Eye, skin, throat or respiratory irritation.
Skin discoloration.
Headache or blurry sight.
Dizziness.
Clumsiness or lack of coordination.
Cramps or diarrhea.

Be prepared to seek medical attention:
Place the medical emergency services telephone number and the intoxication control center at every phone. In an emergency situation, you may have time to look for crucial telephone numbers.

During a domestic emergency with chemical products
If there is danger of a fire or explosion:

Leave the residence immediately. Do not waste time gathering things or calling the fire department when in danger. Call the fire department from the outside (a cell phone or a neighbor’s phone) once you are safe and away from danger.
Stay away from the house and upwind to avoid inhaling toxic fumes.

If someone has been exposed to a domestic chemical product:
Look for the substance containers to provide information requested. Call the fire medical emergency services.

Follow first aid instructions carefully. First aid recommendations in the container may be obsolete or inappropriate. Do not administer anything orally unless a medical professional instructs otherwise.

Dispose of clothes that may have been contaminated. Some chemical products are not removed completely by washing them.