Trends for March 25, 2002

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, March 25, 2002 | 8:23 a.m.

Safe and sound

In case you missed it, Saturday marked the end of National Poison Prevention Week, the theme of which was "Children Act Fast ... So Do Poisons!"

Just because the specially designated awareness week has passed doesn't mean we should let down our guard.

The Soap and Detergent Association (yes, there is such a group) in Washington, D.C., promoted the week by offering a some potentially life-saving facts and tips in its Cleanliness Facts newsletter:

Many unintentional poisonings the majority of which occur in the home from 4-8 p.m., "when activity is at its peak and household members are tired and distracted" happen particularly among children when adults focus their attention for a few moments on the doorbell, telephone and other household events. That's why chemicals and medicines should be safely stored away in the home at all times.

Keep cleaning products in their original containers with the labels intact and stored in a locked cabinet away from food and out of the reach of children. Use toxic products, such as drain cleaners, carefully and not when children are nearby.

Even containers that appear empty can be hazardous. Make sure the cap is on securely and read the label for specific disposal instructions.

Never mix cleaning products, as they may be dangerous when used in combination with each other.

A prime example: chlorine bleach (and products containing it such as tub and tile cleaners, mildew removers and even automatic dishwashing detergent) should never be used in tandem with ammonia or products containing ammonia (some window cleaners and hand-dishwashing detergents), as dangerous gases may be produced.

Visit poisonprevention.org for more safety tips. (Meanwhile clean freaks can find the Soap and Detergent Association at cleaning101.com.)

Sights for sore eyes

While we have safety on the brain, we should also mention that March has been designated Workplace Eye Safety Month by the American Academy of Opthalmology.

Did you know that in the United States, more that 1,000 employees sustain job-related eye injuries each working day? We thought not.

These injuries, the association says, could be avoided if workers wore proper eye protection specific to their jobs. Even staring at a computer the wrong way for extended lengths of time can damage your eyes.

For those stuck behind screens all day, the association's 27,000 eye-doctor members worldwide recommend sitting about 20 inches from the computer monitor (a little farther than reading distance) "with the top of the screen at or below eye level."

Make sure lighting in the room is "modified to eliminate reflections or glare" by fitting the monitor with a hood or filter designed to tackle those annoyances.

Take a break several of them, in fact, to give your peepers a breather from the screen, and blink often to keep eyes from drying out.

Use a document holder when working with reference material to eliminate the need to look back and forth and, thus, refocus your eyes each time you go to read the information.

More workplace eye-safety tips can be found at aao.org.