How can I tell if a product is hazardous?

Read the label!

Look for the words poison, danger, warning, or caution on the product label.

Poison and danger indicate the highest hazard levels.

• • Poison means that a product is highly toxic and can cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
  • Danger means that a product is highly toxic, flammable, or corrosive. Look for the word “danger” on cleaners, polishes, paint strippers, and pesticides. These products could poison you, cause damage to your skin or eyes, or easily cause fire.
• Warning and caution both indicate that a product is toxic, corrosive, reactive, or flammable.
• Products that don’t have any of these words on the label are least hazardous.

A hazardous product has at least one of the following properties:

• Toxic
  • Poisonous or causes long-term illness
  • Includes pesticides, paint thinners, many automotive products, and some cleaners
  • Look for the phrases “Harmful or fatal if swallowed” and “Use only in a well-ventilated area”
• Flammable
  • Burns easily
  • Includes paint thinners, other solvents, and most automotive products
  • Look for phrases like “Do not use near heat or flame” and “Do not smoke while using this product”
• Corrosive
  • Eats through materials
  • Includes oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and automotive batteries
  • Look for phrases like “Causes severe burns on contact” and “Can burn eyes, skin, and throat”
• Reactive
  • Can spontaneously ignite or create poisonous vapors when mixed with other products or can explode when exposed to heat, air, or water.