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College of Human Medicine

Safety Tips for Poison Prevention

March 20, 2024

By Hailey TenHarmsel, MSU College of Human Medicine’s Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

National Poison Prevention Week, March 17-23, is held each year as a reminder of the importance of storage of medications and safe use and storage of substances such as cleaning agents, pesticide, and disinfectant products.

Before you begin using a product either at work or home, you should stop and read the important information on the product label. The product label includes information such as how much of the product to use, whether it needs to be diluted with water, and what protective equipment you should use when mixing or applying a product. Additionally, disinfectant product labels have a contact time, which is the amount of time required for the product to sit on the surface undisturbed for it to be effective at killing microbial organisms. Similarly, some pesticides have a restricted-entry interval (REI), which is the amount of time after application that entry into the treated area is restricted. If the pesticide has an REI, it will be listed on the product label. Never use these products at concentrations or in amounts greater than what is recommended on the label.

Active ingredients can always be found on the label. In the College of Human Medicine’s Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine’s most recent annual report, factors related to the product label included excessive application, structure inadequately ventilated before re-entry, early re-entry, or inadequate protective equipment. Taking the time to read the product label can prevent harmful exposures.

Other simple steps that can help prevent illnesses and injuries from pesticide exposure:

  • Do not mix or simultaneously use different disinfectant products.
  • Be sure there is nobody in the area that will be treated with a pesticide whether it’s the indoor use of a fogger for insects or outdoor spray of a farm field or yard.
  • Make sure all household medications and cleaning products, as well as ant traps and moth balls, are stored out of reach of children.
  • If you use pesticides at work, ask about pesticide applicator certifications that are required for the specific products you use.

More information about pesticide exposures across the state including annual reports of exposure related illnesses and injuries can be found at the College of Human Medicine’s Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at https://oem.msu.edu/.