About Labels

	Need help with product labels? Click and explore the generic label. It will help you understand the different parts of a product label.

Many household products contain pesticidal and toxic ingredients that can be harmful to humans, animals, or the environment. Even so, we use these products to clean or maintain our home. Or they are useful because they control disease-causing organisms, insects, weeds, or other pests. The label is your guide to using products safely and effectively. 

Signal Words

Labels use signal words to show how toxic or hazardous a product can be. They are: Caution, Warning, and Danger. Both you and your parents need to be careful when products with signal words on the label are used. Make sure you do not come in contact with any of the chemicals from these products. Remind your parents to always "Read the Label First" to know how to properly use these products and for safety information.

• Danger is the strongest signal word. If a label has the word Danger on it, your parents must be extremely careful using the product. If it is used the wrong way, you could get very sick, be hurt for a long time, go blind or even die. Danger is also used on products that could explode if they get hot.
  
  
• Warning is less strong than Danger, but it still means that you could get really sick or become seriously hurt. Warning is also used to identify products that can easily catch on fire.
  
  
• Caution shows that the product could hurt you, but it is less harmful than products with a danger or warning signal word. Caution is used on products that could bother your skin, make you sick if you breathed the fumes, or really hurt if the product got in your eyes.

You've got to be careful whenever you see a signal word!

What do you do if you or someone you're with has an accident with household products?

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