Children are naturally curious and may be attracted to items that could cause them harm, such as household cleansers, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Approximately 300 children in the United States are brought to the emergency room each day to be treated for accidental poisonings, the vast majority of which happen in the home.
If your products could pose a threat to children in any way, shape or form, you need to do everything you can to mitigate that risk. This is what makes child-resistant packaging the first line of defense against these avoidable tragedies. If your company produces or markets anything that has the potential to harm kids through accidental ingestion or physical contact, it’s critical that you pay attention to the level of protection your packages provide.
There are a number of ways you can improve the efficacy of your child-resistant packaging. Doing so will communicate to consumers that you take your responsibility seriously, giving them faith in your brand. For example, you should avoid any design elements that might trigger a child’s curiosity, such as bright colors or cartoony graphics. Designing packages that are too large for tiny hands to grip properly and caps that need to be pushed downward before turning add another level of security. In addition, consistent testing of your packages with groups of children ensures your products live up to real-world situations as well as regulatory standards.
It has been noted that the use of child-resistant packaging has saved more than 1 million lives of children ages 5 and under. Keeping your products out of the hands of the youngest kids means utilizing thoughtful design and an automated workflow that can handle the necessary production. To learn more about why child-resistant packaging is so important and how your company can do its part, take a look at the accompanying resource.
Infographic created by MGS Machine Corporation