Hints from Heloise

Dear Readers: Your home should be a safe place, but for children, it could be an accident waiting to happen. The good news is that there are precautions you can take to make your home safe:

•Be sure all hazardous items are out of children’s reach. Read the labels of cleaning products for cautions and first-aid information.

•Lock areas that contain toxic or poisonous products. Keep poisonous plants out of reach.

•Buy products in child-resistant packaging.

•Never refer to medicine as “candy.”

•Install smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms in your home.

In case poisoning does occur:

•Make sure the national phone number for the Poison Control Center (toll-free 800-222-1222, answered 24/7) and other emergency numbers are listed or programmed in the phone.Be ready to provide the name of the poison or item involved. – Heloise