Plastic Pails and Child Safety
The 5-gallon plastic pail is a very handy and versatile package for many uses. However, users should keep children away from buckets, with even small amounts of liquids. Children can fall into a bucket and drown. Due to the low center of gravity of a 5-gallon pail, it does not tip over easily. The pail industry has taken action to form a voluntary program, which is in effect for pails of 4 – 6-gallon sizes. Each pail is labeled with a caution label warning of the danger of drowning. This labeling has been adopted as an ASTM Standard; the designation is F1615. This standard may be purchased from the ASTM office. Since the labels have been applied to pails, there has been a noted reduction in the incidence of children drowning.
The Plastic Shipping Container Institute has also been proactive in an educational program to warn people of this hidden potential danger. The Institute has run public service announcements and widely distributed posters for many years. These posters are now available on the Plastic Shipping Container Institute’s website for printing on your printer. There are color and black and white versions and they are available in both English or Spanish. If you are associated with a doctor’s office, clinic, church, playground, school, or anywhere parents of young children might congregate and can read this cautionary poster, we ask for your assistance and recommend you print one and post it on a well-viewed bulletin board.
Public Service Announcement:
English Version (Windows Media File)
Spanish Version (Windows Media File)
News Report:
English Version (Windows Media File)
Spanish Version (Windows Media File)
Print Our Warning Poster:
English Version - Color (Adobe PDF)
English Version - Black & White (Adobe PDF)
Spanish Version - Color (Adobe PDF)
Spanish Version - Black & White (Adobe PDF)
California Pail Labeling Law: California Health & Safety Code 108625 (2003)