CLEANSING AGENTS
If a cleansing agent (acid, alkali, ammonia, any other chemical) has been used to clean the toilet, sink, bathtub, floor, etc. and the cleanser has to be left for a while to have its proper effect, then lock the place for the duration of cleaning. Merely bolting the door or putting warning sings will not do. This is because people are so used to their bathrooms that they will simply not look at notices but will enter them blindly from sheer habit. Children are more likely to think that they will stay clear of cleansing agent and yet may touch it inadverently or slip in the treated zone on a wet floor.
Most cleansers have a corrosive and harmful effect on the body and even prompt medical treatment does not always remove all the scars caused by these chemicals. Appropriate safety items like gloves, safety goggles, shoes etc. should be worn at the time of their handling. Fresh water and a clean cloth should be kept handy to wipe off any spill? on your body.
Many times drain cleansers suddenly erupt out of badly clogged drains probably due to the gas generated by the action of the cleanser on the material clogging the drains, taking the person cleaning the drains by surprise and can seriously injure his face, eyes, hands etc. So keep away from drain opening to ward off such a mishaps when cleansers are used. You must have read in the newspapers that people have died while cleaning manholes or gutters.
Wash several times thoroughly to get rid of even the last traces of cleansers, after finishing your job. Shoes or bathroom slippers worn during washing must also be washed thoroughly to avoid cleanser being carried into other rooms of house. Acid or chemicals used for cleaning the toilet or bathroom must be kept in a locked cabinet, properly labelled.
Children should be strictly kept away from the vicinity of area where strong chemicals are in use or are accessible as the child can spill it over himself or taste it and cause himself serious injury, while you go to answer a phone or a door bell or nature call.
Avoid smelling as the mode of identification of a chemical because several chemicals could smell alike or your sense of smell could be numbed by a cold or other illness.
SAFE HANDLING OF TELEPHONES
—Avoid using the telephone in the bathtub, shower, swimming pool or in the rain as any contact with water could give an electric shock.
— Do not use the phone during any thunder or lightening storms, as far as possible because any electrical surge through the phone wires could cause a shock.
—Avoid using telephones near a running computer as it may malfunction due to electrical signals from telephone.
— Use a phone located away from a gas leak area, as the telephone’s electrical contacts could create a tiny spark when you dial which might ignite the gas and cause fire.