How do you make learning hazardous household product symbols & categories fun? Make it relevant and interesting, of course. But, how do we do that? How do we make hazardous household product symbols relevant and interesting? Some may argue that these symbols are already relevant because they are there to keep us safe. That may be true. But, in order to make concepts really stick, it’s best to make it interesting and relevant. So, how do we do that?

Our answer: have students apply hazardous household product symbols & categories to common items that may not be labeled toxic. We call it our Everyday Hazards Activity. Objects like drinking water, Mac and cheese, and silly string all have a toxic component to them. Students not only get practice learning the different hazard categories and warning labels. Students also learn more about what makes their object hazardous in the first place. And, with tonnes of options out there with regards to what students can study, this short assignment has the freedom, choice and relevance to make it fun. Handouts (our images and samples) are available at the end of the post.

Hazardous Household Product Labels Review

In general, there are 4 hazardous household product categories (explosive, toxic, flammable, and corrosive) and 3 labels of intensity (caution, warning, and danger). In some countries (Canada, for example), companies also use hazardous household product symbols to label any hazardous products as well as a border to denote whether the danger is with regards to the container or contents. Below is a quick summary of the categories, symbols, borders, and labels.

For the purposes of our Everyday Hazards activity, we suggest students use a combination of symbols, labels, and borders even if your country doesn’t support its use. The use of all 3 provides much more information regarding the product. And, it can also be a benefit if your students ever travel to Canada!

Example: Drinking Water

Drinking water seems like a very safe product. But, did you know drinking too much water at one time can cause serious injury or death? The condition is known as water intoxication. In one case in 2007, a 28 year old woman who participated in a radio contest died when she drank roughly 7 litres of water in over 3 hours. Drinking too much water for children under 1 year old can also be dangerous.

Tips on our Everyday Hazards Activity

• look to the news to see if any typically nontoxic substances have reportedly made injured anyone.
• some products (like Mac and Cheese) might not be labeled as toxic but contain specific ingredients that may be toxic. Students can research those ingredients.
• some products (like drinking water) might not be labeled as toxic but may have a threshold at which it becomes toxic. Students can research the threshold.
• if a product (like silly string) already has a hazardous label on it, see if students can find another hazard that has not been labeled.

Wrap Up

Learning about hazardous household product symbols and categories can be boring. And, that’s not what we want as educators. We want students who are engaged and interested in their material. And, we want students to have fun. By having students apply hazard symbols to everyday objects, students get to research what conditions may cause something to be hazardous. And, they learn more about the hazard labels too. Click on the link below to download our handouts. Please share this resource with your colleagues too!

Until next time, keep it REAL.

Resources

Handout(s): 39 – Hazard Symbols

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