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Sunday, April 11, 2004 |
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Sunday, April 11, 2004 |
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SOMETIMES a simple warning printed on a product or its label can prevent accidents and injuries and even loss of lives. If you look at the labels of insecticides, they carry a warning that`A0the product is a poison. They also mention the antidote in case of accidental swallowing. Similarly, certain medicine bottle labels advise you to keep them away from children. Warnings are mandatory in these cases. Such warnings need to be extended to other products too. For instance, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). One keeps hearing reports about injuries or deaths caused by cooking gas accidents. Since certain basic precautions can, to a large extent, prevent these accidents, oil companies must use labels on cylinders, carrying instructions about its safe use, steps to be taken in case of gas leakage and giving phone numbers to be contacted in case of emergencies. Since cylinders have a large surface area, the safety instructions can be given in English as well as a local language. The labels can be stuck on the cylinder by the distributor, at the time of delivery. Another product that needs to carry instructions on safe use or warnings to prevent accidents is the mosquito repellent coil. To keep mosquitoes away and have a good night’s sleep, it is usually kept close to the bed. This gives rise to the possibility of bed sheets, pillows or blankets falling on the burning coil and starting a fire. In Pune, a boy had a narrow escape when the bed on which he was sleeping caught fire. Apparently, the bed sheet had accidentally fallen on the coil and caught fire. Fortunately, the burning smell woke up a relative, who quickly extinguished the fire and saved the boy. But in the process, one part of the bedroom, including a bookshelf, was gutted. In yet another case, a newspaper kept on a table apparently fell on a burning coil and caught fire. Fortunately, the fire was noticed and put out before it could cause damage. Thus, a warning on the product label will at least make the consumer aware of the need to keep the coil at a safe distance from inflammable objects. Sometimes, when you switch on an electric bulb, it suddenly bursts, strewing glass pieces in all directions. Whether it is the sudden surge in power supply or the poor quality of the bulb that causes it, a warning on the packing advising consumers not to stand beneath the bulb when it is switched on would certainly be helpful. `A0Similarly, why can’t plugs and sockets carry a label warning consumers against placing stacks of paper or clothing or even a bed close to plug points? Sparking or overheating of the plug pins can cause a fire. Doctors often point out the number of injuries caused by rubber or plastic bathroom slippers. Most of these cause the wearer to slip and fall on a wet surface or even on a smooth flooring inside the house, resulting in injuries. Unless they are skid-resistant, the slippers should carry a suitable warning. This will prevent many a accident, particularly involving elderly people. A few years ago, the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, an independent federal regulatory agency responsible for reducing unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products, found `A0that night lights located close to beds caused fires in homes when a pillow or blanket touched the hot bulb. With`A0about 10 such accidents being reported every year, it carried out a campaign advising consumers to relocate their night lights and use ones that had cooler, mini neon bulbs instead of four or seven-watt bulbs. This helped to reduce these accidents. It goes without saying that to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of consumers, manufacturers should look beyond issuing warnings. They should also strive to improve the quality of their products. |
