Children’s misunderstanding of GHS hazard warning signs

Accidental poisoning in young children is a major problem globally. In the UK, there are approximately 26,000 attendances in emergency departments every year for children 0-4 years.¹ Child-proof bottle tops have reduced the frequency of poisoning by prescribed drugs,2 but other causes of poisoning (ingestion of bleach, for example) continue, resulting in disease, disability, and suffering. Death is much rarer now than 10 or 15 years previously, but fatalities still occur.

This study is designed to establish primary school children’s misunderstandings of the new Globally Harmonised System of classification, labelling and packaging of substances. It implements a corrective, interactive education programme to promote understanding and agency for self-protection from hazardous chemicals. A Mobile Research Laboratory is taken to primary schools, with senior students from the local secondary school delivering the intervention to the primary schools with support from the CYP@Salford research team.