Handling Hazardous Materials

How To Recognize HHW Products
Household hazardous wastes exhibit at least one of the following properties:

Corrosive substances or vapors - can burn skin on contact and can eat away the surface of other materials
- Oven and toilet bowl cleaners
Flammable - usually liquids that easily ignite and burn
- Lighter fluid, spot and paint removers
Reactive - reacts with air, water, or another substance to produce toxic vapors or explode
- Bleach when mixed with ammonia-based cleaners
Toxic - even in small quantities may immediately poison, or cause injury or even death through repeated exposure, when inhaled into the lungs, eaten, swallowed or absorbed through the skin
- Rat poison, pesticides, or bleach

Warning Words
Check the label for the following warning words:

Danger - the product is highly flammable, explosive, and/or reactive, or is a capable of causing injury on contact with eyes or skin.
Poison - the product is extremely toxic (a taste to 1 tsp. is the fatal dose).
Warning - the product is moderately toxic (1 tsp. to 1 tbs. is the fatal dose), can cause skin injury with prolonged contact with skin, or has a moderate chance of catching fire or reacting with another chemical.
Caution - the product is mildly toxic (1 oz to 1 pt is the fatal dose) or a possible skin irritant.

Tips For Handling, Using, & Storing HHW
When handled, stored, and used correctly, HHW doesn't pose too many environmental problems.

Buy a non-hazardous or the least hazardous product for the job, i.e., choose a product with a "caution" label over one with a "warning" label.
Buy multi-use products instead of highly specialized items that might go unused for months.
Buy only what you need.
Buy pesticides and similar items that have a localized application, e.g. roach bait discs instead of fumigants.
Follow all safety precautions.