Hazardous chemicals are used in a variety of processes or products in industry daily. There are literally hundreds of thousands of chemicals used around the world to accomplish this. For a variety of reasons some of these products end up in homes or in the environment.
There are many different terms or definitions for hazardous chemicals, but the simplest and most concise term is “Any product that may cause harm to people and or the environment”. There are many types of labels that may be found on chemical containers to give people a clue as to what is in them. Sometimes these will have specific names, others times they may be just symbols.
Anytime you suspect you are dealing with a hazardous substance please call the fire department. The following are examples of labels that may be found on a container in a home in in the environment. These labels are good indicators that something hazardous is present, but remember not everything will be labeled. If you see any of these labels, or anything you don’t understand please call the fire department and we will respond and take appropriate action.
Remember: A good rule of thumb is “When in doubt, call the fire department out”.