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Household products: it is important to leave them in their original containers!

Publié le 10 mai 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You may have already transferred a household product to a container other than its original container, which was not intended for that purpose. Such action can have serious health consequences. ANSES will tell you what precautions you need to take to protect yourself and your loved ones.

When you transfer a product to clean the floor or bleach into a plastic bottle, for example, you no longer have any information:

  • the nature of the content;
  • the associated risks;
  • on precautions for use.

In order to reduce the risk of accidents related to household products, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) recommends:

  • avoid depackaging a product, i.e. not transporting a product into a container different from its original packaging (as the instructions for use and precautions for use are then lost, but this information allows poison centers or doctors to accurately assess the toxicological risk and to adopt the best therapeutic strategy);
  • if depackaging is absolutely necessary, clearly state on the new container the name of the original product and whether it has been diluted, and take a picture of the UFI code of the product (this 16-digit code placed close to the name or hazard information allows poison centers to identify the commercial reference of the product and its composition);
  • in the case of a product purchased in bulk, use an appropriate container by recycling the original container if possible and affix the information sheet provided by the sign or a label on which you indicate the relevant information (product name, precautions for use, batch number, etc.);
  • store unpacked products out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard;
  • Store your food and drink in a different place from the one dedicated to household items, and never place household items in your refrigerator.

Please note

Based on an analysis of calls to poison centers, ANSES counted 33,650 deconditioning-related accidents between 2017 and 2021, or approximately 6,000 accidents per year. The vast majority of cases were asymptomatic or of low severity. However, there were 108 high severity cases, including 17 in children under 15 years of age. Five deaths were also reported, including that of a 3-year-old child.

FYI  

If you ingest a dangerous product, contact immediately:

  • 15, 18 or 112 (114 for the hearing impaired);
  • 01 45 42 59 59 for contact with a poison control center (emergency number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

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