Corrosive

This pictogram tells you that the product is corrosive. It is dangerous to get a corrosive product on your skin, in your eyes or in your mouth.

A product labelled “Corrosive” can cause serious damage if you get it on your skin or in your eyes or mouth. It is almost like getting a burn.

Corrosive products are very common. It is likely that you have some at home. It could be toilet cleaner, drain cleaner, lime scale remover, washing powder or household ammonia, among others. Some products can be corrosive to metals.

Some detergents for the dishwasher and laundry machine are also corrosive. Always wash your hands thoroughly after handling detergent tablets. Sometimes these detergents come in fancy coloured tablets or capsules. Small children may think they look like candy and put them in their mouth. Corrosive detergents and all other hazard-labelled products should always be stored in a place where children can’t reach them.

To protect yourself you should always wear gloves and protective glasses when handling corrosive products.

Health hazard

This pictogram tells you that the product can be harmful if it comes into contact with your skin, eyes and lungs .You should not inhale or swallow the product or get it on your skin.

A product labelled "Health hazard" can be harmful if swallowed, inhaled or if it comes in contact with the skin. It may cause irritation of the airways, skin or eyes and even cause an allergic skin reaction. If inhaled, it may cause drowsiness or dizziness. You can also find this pictogram on products that are hazardous to the ozone layer.

Products labelled "Health hazard" are common in most homes. You may see it on spray cans of air freshener and on bottles of washing-up liquids, cleaning detergents, anti-freeze and other kinds of concentrated products.

Avoid breathing fumes and use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wear proper protection for e.g. skin and eyes if required on the label when using these products.

Hazardous to the environment

This pictogram tells you that the product can be harmful to the environment.

Some chemicals are harmful to the environment. Products labelled "Hazardous to the environment" are toxic to animals and plants in the aquatic environment and may accumulate in the food chain.

You can see this pictogram on products that are used to get rid of insects and weeds in the garden. The pictogram can also be seen on products like paint, white spirit and waterproofing spray. These products usually have more than one hazard pictogram and are often also harmful to humans.

Products labelled as "Hazardous to the environment" should not be poured down the drain or put into the household rubbish bin. The correct way to dispose the remnants of these products is to deliver them to the recycling centre.

Flammable

This pictogram tells you that the product is flammable. It should be kept far away from open flames and other ignition sources such as sparks from electrical equipment or mechanical tools.

Some products can ignite if they are too close to an open fire or if they are subjected to a spark (from switches in electrical equipment for example).

The “Flammable” pictogram is commonly found on a variety of products in the kitchen, in the bathroom or in the garage. Products like these can be flammable: waterproofing spray for shoes, hand sanitizer, paint, glue, cleaning agents, solvents and lighter fluid. The list is much longer.

Products labelled "Flammable" should not be sprayed on near an open flame or other ignition source. The products should be stored in a tightly sealed container and kept away from sparks, open flames and hot places. They should be stored in a cool place that is protected from sunlight.

Serious health hazard

This pictogram tells you that the product can be very dangerous to your health if not used in a correct manner. Be very careful if you see this pictogram on a product!

A product with this pictogram can be very dangerous to your health if it is used in an inappropriate way. It is possible that the damage which such products in many cases will not appear until a long time after use or after many times of repeated contact.

There are different types of effects associated with the “Serious health hazard” pictogram. A product with this pictogram can damage the organs in your body. If swallowed it can enter the lungs and be potentially deadly. If inhaled, the product may cause an allergic reaction or induce asthmatic symptoms or breathing difficulties.

The “Serious health hazard” pictogram is also used for other severe health effects such as cancer. Such products shall never be within the reach of children. It is, however, very unlikely that you will encounter such products in your home.

You may see the "Serious Health hazard” pictogram on products in your home like lighter fluid, glue, white spirit, and petrol. The label is often found on lamp oil. Lamp oil is used for garden torches and oil lamps with a wick. Such products are usually labelled with “Serious health hazard” due to the possible effects on the lungs if ingested.

Products labelled "Serious health hazard” should be locked-up and not be handled until all safety precautions indicated on the product have been read and understood. Personal protective equipment should be used as required. 

Explosive

This pictogram tells you that the product can explode.

You probably won’t find any products in your house with this pictogram on it. Most such products are used in particular types of workplaces such as laboratories and factories. A few of them may occur in households on items such as fireworks, signal flares and ammunition.

Explosive products should be kept away from heat, sparks and open fire.

Fireworks shall have the “Explosive” pictogram on them. If you keep fireworks at home they should be placed in a cool, dark place. In some countries, the use of fireworks is only permitted around New Year’s Eve.

Oxidizing

This pictogram tells you that the product can make a fire even worse.

If you see this pictogram on a label then you are dealing with an oxidizing product. Oxidizing products can speed up the development of a fire and make it more intense by contributing more oxygen.

The pictogram “Oxidizing" can be found on products like disinfection tablets and liquids used for getting rid of bacteria in bathtubs and swimming pools.

Oxidizing products should be kept far away from open fire and from all flammable products. 

Acute toxicity

This pictogram tells you that the product is very toxic.

It is not very likely that you will find any products with this pictogram in your house. If you do: stay far away from them! The skull and bones indicate that the product is very toxic and that you could get very sick – or even die – if the product were to be used in the wrong way.

The pictogram “Acute toxicity” is typically found on products that are used for killing rodents such as rats and moles.

Only people who know how to handle such products, e.g. exterminators, are allowed to buy and use them.

Gas under pressure

This pictogram tells you that a container contains a pressurised gas.

It’s very important that a container that contains gas is not heated, e.g. by being placed too close to open fire, as the container may explode from the heat. Furthermore, the container should be handled in accordance with the instructions it bears owing to the danger of an explosion occurring. If the container is damaged it should be disposed of in an appropriate manner by professionals since the damage may compromise the integrity of the container and it might explode.

The pictogram for “Gas under pressure” can be found on containers for gas, such as gas cylinders.

Maybe there is a gas cylinder in your house? Pressurised gas is used for gas cookers and gas and terrace heaters. Car mechanics and smiths also use pressurised gas to weld pieces of metal together. Divers use tanks of compressed air for breathing under water.

Teacher’s guide to Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards

Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards is a simple and ready-to-use online teaching resource aimed at pupils from the 2nd to 6th grades. The purpose of this material is to raise awareness amongst students of the dangers of hazardous chemicals and ensure their safe usage. Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards introduces pupils to the 9 new hazard pictograms that are used for hazard labelling of chemicals in a bid to help them understand the significance of the different hazards.

Background

The hazard pictograms are intended to provide information about the damage a chemical product can cause to our health and the environment. During the period from 2010 to 2015, the European Union introduced a new classification and labelling system for hazardous chemicals, which is in line with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The initiative aims to ensure uniform hazard information for the same chemicals around the world.

Many frequently used household chemicals can be hazardous and the pupils may thus encounter hazardous chemicals in their homes. It is important for children to understand the significance of the hazard pictograms on the product labels in order to avoid accidents and unintentional use. The new pictograms used to indicate the hazard are in the shape of a red diamond with a white background and are replacing the old orange square pictograms.

See the new and the old pictograms here: http://echa.europa.eu/chemicals-in-our-life/clp-pictograms.

Timeframe

You can use 1 or 2 lessons.

Technical requirements:

The website is optimized for standard screen resolutions in most modern browsers (IE9+, Safari, Firefox and Chrome. The requirements for viewing the website as intended is a minimum screen resolution of 1024px width and 768px height. The website does not require any browser plugins, but do require java script to be enabled. Viewing on mobile devices is supported, but does not give an appropriate user experience and is therefore not recommended.

National educational standards

Insert the educational standards here

The frame story

Hanna is bored. Today her family is cleaning the house. Hanna’s mother told her to stay out of the way. “Cleaning the house can be dangerous,” she says. Hanna decides to find out why. She grabs her camera and takes 9 pictures of her family in different “cleaning” situations.

How it works

After the short introduction your pupils can chose between 9 different cleaning situations:

There are 9 different hazard pictograms that are used for hazard labelling of chemicals. Only 6 of the hazard pictograms are used in the cleaning situations in Hanna’s House because the pictograms for “Acute toxicity” and the “Gas under pressure” hazard pictograms are rarely found on common household products. The pictogram “Oxidizing” is not used, as it is quite similar to the “Flammable” pictogram, something that might confuse the pupils in the lower grades. You can still find a description of all 9 hazard pictograms in the top menu of the website.
A “situation” is designed as a step-by-step story:

1. The situation is introduced.
2. A question concerning the situation is posed which has 3 possible answers.
3. An answer to the question pops up.
4. The pupil should guess which kind of hazard pictogram(s) are found on the product used in this situation.
5. The answer pops up with a short description of the hazard pictogram.
   There is a “read more” button with more information on each hazard pictogram.
6. The pupil can choose a new situation by clicking the yellow “house-icon”.

Your preparation

1. Go through the situations on the website.
2. For more information about the 9 hazard pictograms you can visit link to national EPA websites or the European Chemicals Agency’s website (http://echa.europa.eu/chemicals-in-our-life/clp-pictograms)
3. Make reservations regarding electronic equipment.
4. Bring a selection of hazard-labelled products into the classroom.
   .

How to work with the Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards

1. Your preparation:
   • Many chemical products can be dangerous to your health or the environment.
   • Most of the chemicals you might use are not dangerous if you use them properly and know what to do if something goes wrong.
   • Some chemicals need more careful handling than others.
   • Reading the label and being familiar with the hazard pictograms can help you identify the more hazardous chemical products and tell you what the hazards are and how to avoid them.
   • A hazard label is made up of specific symbols (known as ‘pictograms’) and warnings. These pictograms, and the wording that supports them, are set out in the law. It is the companies supplying the chemical products that must use them where hazardous properties have been identified.
   • A chemical is not just something used by scientists in laboratories.
   • Most people use chemical products in their home every day e.g. for washing and cleaning and other housework. Many people also use chemicals as part of their jobs.
2. Show your pupils a selection of products with hazard labels. Make sure that the products are labelled with the new red and white hazard pictograms. Tell them very briefly what the 9 pictograms stand for. Remember to mention that these pictograms are replacing the old orange and black pictograms that the pupils may be familiar with and which they may still find on older products at home.
3. Launch the website LINK TO HANNA’ HOUSE with the projector. If your pupils can’t read yet, read the text aloud to them.
4. In the 4th to 6th grade: let your pupils work alone or together two by two on PC’s or a portable device like a tablet or an iPad. The task is to walk through as many of the situations as they can manage in approximately 30 minutes.
5. In the 2nd and 3rd grades you will have to guide your pupils through the 9 situations using the projector.
6. Allot 10 minutes at the end of the lesson. Project the 9 hazard pictograms onto the wall. (Click the top menu). Are your pupils able to answer the following questions about the hazard pictograms?
   • Which kinds of products are typically labelled as flammable?
   • What are the hazards and how do you avoid them?
   • Which kinds of products are typically labelled as corrosive?
   • What are the hazards and how do you avoid them?
   • Which kinds of products are typically labelled as hazardous to the health?
   • What are the hazards and how do you avoid them?

Further suggestion

If you want to spend more time on the subject you can supplement the initial lesson/s with the following activity:

[Pupils name or class’ name] House of Hidden Hazards

Ask your pupils to find out how many hazard-labelled products they have in their own homes or in the school building. Ensure that they ask an adult to help them with this task, just to avoid accidents. They can either make a list or take pictures of the products on their mobile devices. In class you can illustrate their findings using a simple scheme drawn on the blackboard, flipchart or on the smart-board. Observations might include:

• What hazard pictogram did we find the most of?
• What hazard pictogram did we find the fewest of?
• Make a print of the 9 hazard pictograms below and cut them out.
• Rate the pictograms from 1- 9 (1 = most of, 9 = least of).
• Make a hit list and put it on the wall.

Activity sheet: Find hazard labels

Print and hand out a copy of this activity sheet to your pupils. In the columns they can note down how many different hazard pictograms they found.

Important: You should inform their parents in advance so they can assist the pupils. They should not do this alone! If you go on a mission in the school building you will have to be their guide.

General remarks on Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards

Not all products are labelled exactly the way they are in the situations in Hanna’s House of Hidden Hazards. For instance the toilet cleaner in the situation “Dad is cleaning the toilet” is labelled with the hazard pictogram Corrosive. It is actually possible to buy toilet cleaner without this hazard pictogram. The hazards of a product depend on the exact composition of the product and the concentration of the hazardous substances within. A toilet cleaner could thus also be labelled with the hazard pictogram "Health hazard" for skin or eye irritation instead of the “Corrosive” pictogram. It could even not be labelled at all.