We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to enforce that the manufactures of engine coolant and antifreeze to contain a bittering agent, denatonium benzoate, to render the coolant and antifreeze unpalatable to reduce the number of poisonings in children and animals.”
Details of Petition:
“Ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in almost all major antifreeze brands, has an inviting aroma, a sweet flavor—and a deadly aftertaste. Its appealing smell and taste often tempt animals and children to drink the highly poisonous substance. Luckily, an alternative exists. To lower the risk to animals, consumers can switch to a brand of antifreeze containing propylene glycol, a chemical ingredient that is less toxic than ethylene glycol. In addition to being safer, propylene glycol has a bitter taste that makes it less attractive to curious animals. Although it’s safer than ethylene glycol antifreeze, propylene glycol antifreeze is still toxic. To reduce the risk of poisoning, all brands of antifreeze should be handled carefully and treated as a highly poisonous substance. “You should always take care to ensure that antifreeze is stored well away from animals and children, antifreeze spills are completely cleaned up, and leaks are immediately repaired.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage
Read the Government’s response
The Government shares concerns that all dangerous chemicals supplied for domestic use are as safe possible, while still being fit for purpose. There is an inherent responsibility on individuals to store and use these chemicals safely, in and around the home, to avoid accidents. It is not clear that adding bittering agents to antifreeze is necessary as, like most chemicals supplied for domestic use, antifreeze is covered by the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 (as amended). These Regulations are also known as CHIP.
CHIP places duties on the suppliers of dangerous chemicals. Its purpose is to protect people and the environment from the effects of those chemicals by requiring suppliers to provide information about the dangers and to package them safely.
CHIP requires the supplier of a dangerous chemical to:
• identify the hazards of the chemical.;
• give information about the hazards to their customers (suppliers usually provide this information on the package itself and, if supplied for use at work, in a safety data sheet (SDS)); and
• package the chemical safely.
Warning labels on the packages may include such wording as “Harmful”, “Keep out of reach of children” or “Harmful if swallowed”.
CHIP applies to most but not all chemicals. Some chemicals, such as cosmetics and medicines, are outside the scope and have their own specific laws.
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