Eye to the label, new campaign to protect against poisoning in minors
The safety of the little ones is one of the points that most concerns parents. Prevention is always better than cure and in the case of childhood accidents, attending some instructions is a great help. For this reason from the Confederation of Consumers and Users, CECU, has launched a new campaign focused on the chemical products present in many homes.
With the name "Eye to the Label", from CECU parents are reminded of the important information offered by the packaging of chemical products such as those used for cleaning. Data that help to conserve these articles to avoid accidents through the ingestion or manipulation by children, as well as the first aid that must be followed in these cases.
What should a product label include?
As has been said, the label on the container of the products includes numerous information that alerts parents of dangers. What should pick yourself up in this panel? These are the recommendations of the CECU:
- Product composition. This information is very important. Think, for example, of people who are allergic to a certain substance or have been poisoned at home with a toxic product. If the doctor knows the composition of the product, you can indicate the correct treatment.
- Recommended period for use or consumption of the product. This date has to be on the label when the product, for example, loses some quality over time.
- The essential characteristics of the product, instructions, warnings, advice or recommendations on how to install, use and manipulate them.
- Potential danger of the product and information about its safe use.
Attending to this last section, there is a series of codes that are worth knowing. As for example the presence of a skull on the label, which indicates a danger due to toxicity in the chemical products, these containers must move away from children and prevent minors from even seeing them. Other symbols, such as hands being affected by a liquid, warns of the possible corrosion of this article.
An exclamation, on the other hand, warns of the risks of ingesting said product since it could cause an allergic reaction in the organism or irritate the skin when contacting it. A flame, alerts the risk of inflammation of the product. Other codes serve to prevent other risks, such as a tree that represents the environment and warns of the danger of not discarding the product correctly.
Other important product labels
Not all the labels that CECU alerts focus on prevention of child accidents. Others who remember also warn us about the content of the article, something that must be attended, for example, when purchasing a video game. At this point, it is worth remembering the codes of the PEGI system, which warn of possible dangers for minors.
A group of three people of different colors indicates that the game contains scenes of discrimination. Other symbols as a "snack"full of symbols and asterisks alert of the foul language that can be heard in the video game, another label with a scratch indicates the fear that may arise the adventure that develops in this video game.
Of course, these labels also provide a numeric code which is related to the age recommended for the players of a title. In this way, parents, although they do not know the history of it, can know through these symbols what they are buying to give to their children.
Damián Montero
