Caustic Soda

[Ryan-3]

in the cleaning products seciton they go from floor to above head height in my local supermarket

I find that everywhere I shop the medicines (usual tablets, bottles), cleaning products, alcohols, are all kept in this way. But, should we really have to **** about putting these things out of reach or away in cupboards, taking basic parenting out of peoples hands to teach children what they should be careful with and why they should be. Not once did I ever start messing around with the bleach at home or in supermarkets, because I had been taught what the stuff was capable of. I was skeptical - kids always are - but I wasn't after it leaked over night, removing the colour from some of the bathroom tiles.

 

[Hotwired]

It'll be in a child proof bottle, no?

When I encountered such caps as a very young kid I put effort into working out how they opened.

No lack of being told such things were dangerous ofc, plus a good head start on reading so the labels were understood but it was irresistible to open the unopenable

 

[Rroff]

I've never had a problem with child proof caps :| ever since I was first aware of them had absolutely no problem pinching and twisting them. I think most of my family was similar - certainly didn't stop us as kids.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

They normally also come with that super thick plastic wrap that is heat blown on the cap and bottle. Bought some drain unblocker the other day and it took me a few minutes just to get to the cap!

I am against blaming the retailers for this sort of stuff. If you start holding everyone else accountable, you will feel like you are not responsible for it yourself.

 

[BDEE]

My local Asian supermarket has caustic soda on the lower shelf easily accessed by children. I've spoken to them about putting it on a higher shelf several times but they've done nothing about it. How would you deal with this?

Why did it matter that it was an "Asian" supermarket?

Would you have included that comment were it a "British" supermarket?

 

[Bennie-Mac]

Why did it matter that it was an "Asian" supermarket?

Would you have included that comment were it a "British" supermarket?

It doesn't matter, you seem to be the only person pointing out that it somehow matters. Asian supermarkets are often marketed as Asian supermarkets to distinguish themselves from regular supermarkets since they primarily sell Asian goods. Hell my local Asian supermarket is simply called "Asian Supermarket".

If the OP had said "Local supermarket has caustic soda on display at low level etc etc by the way its run by a bunch of Asians" then you might have a point, but he didn't so you don't.

 

[Dis86]

^^Lol. Buuuuurn

 

[maklabouhlel]

Why did it matter that it was an "Asian" supermarket?

Would you have included that comment were it a "British" supermarket?

I'm the op and I'm Asian if that makes you feel any better. The reason I mentioned it is because I have never seen caustic soda on the lower shelf in other supermarkets. Also, this is the third Asian supermarket where I've seen it in a similar location.

 

[Bluntwrapped]

They will only try it once...

This.

A little goes a long way.

 

[DailyGeek]

Guess what kills more children, grapes or caustic soda.
Guess where they keep the grapes.

 

[maklabouhlel]

Guess what kills more children, grapes or caustic soda.
Guess where they keep the grapes.

But why should any child die because of the irresponsibility of an adult.

 

[DailyGeek]

But why should any child die because of the irresponsibility of an adult.

They shouldn't, but it's often the case. There is only so much padding you can expect people to add to the world. Then it's up to the parents to be responsible when others aren't.

 

[d_brennen]

I'm the op and I'm Asian if that makes you feel any better. The reason I mentioned it is because I have never seen caustic soda on the lower shelf in other supermarkets. Also, this is the third Asian supermarket where I've seen it in a similar location.

It's obviously not much of problem, if it's the third you've see with the same shelving arrangement.

Honestly can't see the problem. If we were talking acid pits in the street, or armed mines in playgrounds, then yeah, ensue the outrage.

You cannot protect everyone from everything, but we are doing our best as a civilisation. Personally think most if it should be transferred back to the other individual

 

[Tefal]

Oh please, you cant argue that caustic soda is not ok but bleach is because of severity. .

Well you can.


They'd have to drink the bleach/pour it in thier eyes.

Caustic soda will burn thier skin on contact if theres a damaged bottle and they touch it
Bit if bleach on thier skin wont hurt them much.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

The warning is a requirement for the manufacturers, nothing more. Parents or supermarkets dont have to follow the rule, regardless of who it was intended for. It is just a legal requirement for the manufacturer.

Supermarkets have inspectors come in all the time, as well as have merchandisers at head office that know the guidelines to sales displays. What part of it is illegal?

Not entirely true.

Under the CLP regulations, there must be some warning if hazardous substances are distributed to the public. The regulations require that there are warnings and child resistant fastenings attached to the packaging which the supermarket must ensure remain intact.

The parents are responsible for the storage of these once the hazardous substance is in their possession, but it is very much the responsibility of the supermarket to make sure they are stored correctly. I'd agree that the large chains would have display personnel who plan these types of things, but I'd question their competency / I'd be surprised if they considered the storage arrangements of every substance e.g some acids should not be stored near oxidisers... Easy when you have a few bottles or containers, a nightmare if you have shelves of the stuff. Maybe I'm cynical and its computer aided (the planning) but in my experience people just don't dig that deep when it comes to storage arrangements.

If substances or mixtures are supplied to the general public, then child-resistant fastenings and/or tactile warnings of danger have to be attached to their packaging in case these substances or mixtures display certain hazards or if the packaging contains methanol or dichloromethane. An overview of the different hazards that trigger this obligation is provided in the overview table of hazards that trigger child-resistant fastening or tactile warnings..

https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/clp/labelling and https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/clp/labelling/specific-labelling-and-packaging-situations

 

[Flubble]

i think things like that should be down low, it just seems safer to me rather than picking it up from a high shelf and it splits and pours down your face and body instead of just on your feet.

 

[jpod]

My local Asian supermarket has caustic soda on the lower shelf easily accessed by children. I've spoken to them about putting it on a higher shelf several times but they've done nothing about it. How would you deal with this?

I think you are exactly right to raise a concern. Bravo. If I saw it I would do exactly the same.

Households with kids don't have bleach and similar within easy access of kids. Everyone knows that is danagerous because children don't know better.

It is an exceptionally dangerous material. If a child ingested these chemicals it can cause life changing and potentially life threatening injuries.

Raise it again. Explain how dangerous it is, if they don't respond first time say no more just contact your local council who will take notice.

A quick google reveals this:
Disastrous effects and lifelong complications, ranging from respiratory and gastrointestinal burns to death can result from caustic soda ingestion. Accidental and non-accidental ingestions occur in different age groups. However, it is very troubling to find ingestion of caustic soda a very common occurrence among children below 5 years since they do not have the developmental level required to independently weigh up risks and are also under parental and societal protections. This study was therefore planned to investigate the ingestions of caustic soda by these children for purposes of proposing measures to curb the problem.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4650304/

Rest assured that the forum members who trolled you here did so when they were not in possession of all the facts.

 

[d_brennen]

Or just don't let kids **** about in shops. You can't cover the world in bubble wrap

 

[Hades]

When I was a kid in the 70s my parents taught me that any bottle with ridges on the side was poisonous. Whatever happened to such bottles having ridges nowadays? It just occurred to me that most don't now. It used to be a thing that anything dangerous had such bottles so everyone including blind people knew the contents were bad.

 

[Boycey0211]

This week a woman was in the news who let her kid run around a shop and get abducted.

Now we have people worrying if they leave their kids unattended they will drink/splash over themselves whatever is on the bottom shelf.

When I was about 5 I ran off from my mum in the supermarket, ran around a corner and into a trolley, if I had hit one of the bars an inch lower I could have lost my eyesight in one eye, as it was I was just severely cut.

Moral of the story? Look after your kids and not the rest of society through moaning about things. I'm all in favour of natural selection tbh. I learnt not to run around shops.