Barriers to the safe use of chemical household products: A comparison across European countries

• Published in: Environmental research 2020-01, Vol.180, p.108859, Article 108859
• Main Authors: Bearth, Angela, Buchmüller, Kim, Bürgy, Heribert, Siegrist, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behaviour; Consumer; Household chemicals; Public health; Risk perception; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108859

Chemical household products, such as cleaning and washing products or pest control and garden chemicals, are frequently involved in poisonings in private households. Consumer research has identified a number of barriers that impede the safe use of these products, ranging from unfamiliarity, to misconceptions and a lack of risk perception, to behavioural or situational barriers. This study aimed at investigating these barriers for consumers in eight European countries. Participants from eight European countries were recruited and asked to fill out an online questionnaire on their familiarity with hazard pictograms, perceptions and self-reported behaviour (Total: N = 5631, Austria: N = 731, Switzerland: N = 698, Germany: N = 711, France: N = 708, Italy: N = 695, Poland: N = 693, Sweden: N = 682, UK: N = 713). Across all countries, the lowest consumer familiarity was found for the meaning of the pictogram for “health hazard” (65% indicated having never seen it before). Small-sized differences between the eight countries were observed regarding people’s familiarity, perceptions and self-reported behaviour. The results suggest that people apply hazard-related as well as product- and marketing-related strategies to judge the dangerousness of a chemical household product. These findings suggest a number of starting points for risk regulation and communication regarding hazardous household chemical products. Further, the results suggest that positive outcome expectancies and rules of thumb for judging the risks of a chemical household product are particularly relevant for people’s self-reported safe use of chemical household products. •There exist national differences in familiarity with chemical hazard symbols in Europe.•People rely on simple rules of thumb to judge the risk of a chemical household product.•Negative outcome expectancies and low perceived personal control are barriers.