Most households in Orange County have a variety of household products that can be dangerous to people. Although most of these products never will harm anyone as long as they are used correctly, sometimes a flaw in the product can make them unsafe. Household products can also pose health risks if the consumer does not understand the risks of potential danger, due to insufficient warnings on the product.
Common household chemicals are one category of consumer products that can easily cause harm to people if they don’t understand the dangers. These products can be especially dangerous in the hands of children, who may not be able to appreciate the danger.
Certain types of laundry detergent, for example, can irritate the eyes and skin. But even worse, if a person swallows laundry detergent, it can cause health problems ranging from nausea and vomiting, to convulsions and coma. Similarly, household cleaning products that contain ammonia can burn the skin or cause rashes, but they can also become deadly if mixed with other cleaning products that contain chlorine.
Air fresheners are another common product that many people use regularly in their homes. But these products can cause a range of problems from irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, to more severe health problems like cancer and brain damage.
These are just a few chemicals found in many households that can become unsafe products if used incorrectly. People who use these chemicals and keep them in their homes have a responsibility to use them only for their intended purposes and to follow all safety instructions.
On the other hand, if the products pose a danger because of negligence on the part of the designer or manufacturer, those parties may have liability for any injuries and damages that the products cause. If, for instance, one of these chemicals is packaged to look similar to food or candy, a child might be enticed to try to consume them. Under those circumstances, the product’s designer could have legal responsibility for injuries to the child.
Source: Cleveland Clinic, “Household Chemicals Chart: Whats in my House,” Accessed on Dec. 3, 2016
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