Poison Prevention Packaging Act, 1970: A human factors standard.
This paper, the first of two, gives an account of legislation and regulations made in the USA requiring hazardous pharmaceutical and other household products to be packaged in child-resistant containers. Human factors test procedures and standards, in terms of which child-resistance is defined, are described. An account is given of those hazardous substances which regulations in the USA require should be packed in child-resistant containers. The paper concludes with a description of the effects of the regulations and of child-resistant containers in reducing mortality and morbidity associated with the ingestion of poisonous substances, particularly aspirin, in the USA. The second paper will briefly describe the effects of legislation made in England and Wales requiring certain pharmaceutical products to be packaged in child-resistant containers. It will also give an account of experiments, carried out in England and Sweden, describing the difficulties and inconvenience which the elderly and disabled experience when they attempt to use such containers.
Kirk
N S
NS
Institute for Consumer Ergonomics, University of Technology, Loughborough, Leicestershire UK.