What everyday objects can pose a danger to our health and safety?

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The discussion centers around the hazards of seemingly harmless everyday objects. Participants share personal experiences with various items, highlighting unexpected dangers. For instance, Tootsie Roll Pops and Jolly Ranchers can cause tongue injuries, while paper cuts are a common annoyance. Other items mentioned include paper shredders, Legos, and even complex math problems, which can lead to frustration. There are humorous anecdotes about pets, particularly cats, and their mischievous behavior causing accidents. The conversation also touches on safety in laboratory settings, where doors can pose significant risks due to their design and usage. Overall, the thread emphasizes the hidden dangers in daily life, prompting participants to reflect on their own experiences with these seemingly innocuous items.
~christina~
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I find that many objects are hazardous. (they seem quite harmless untill..)

For example:

Food category

Tootsie Roll Pops => I find that, after licking the lollipop a few times, I always get shards of the candy in my tongue.
Jolly Rancher Hard candy => A swallowing risk is involved when you melt the candy until it's small and thin. Shards of the candy can become embedded in tongue as well, I find.

Everyday items

Paper=> Paper cuts anyone?

Can anyone think of anymore hazardous items in our everyday lives that seem harmless enough?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
air ... LOL!

and everything that you can touch :)
 
- You'll kill us... with a soup cup?
- Tea, actually.
- What's that?
- I'll kill you with my teacup.
 
Ones own teeth, i am all ways bite ing my tongue.
 
Paper cuts will be the death of me

Twice today! *ouch*

:)
 
~christina~ said:
Can anyone think of anymore hazardous items in our everyday lives that seem harmless enough?

Paper shredders. Never wear a tie around those things. A person's head will never fit down the little slot, but most people panic anyway. The panic attack can result in serious neck strain.

Legos, especially on the stairs ... especially if walking barefoot down the stairs with a cup of coffee.

Complex math problems. They're always fun until someone loses an i.
 
Crisps/potato chips are another, get a sliver of one wedged between your teeth and it is most annoying.

Stop eating candy christina, it will ruin your complexion.
 
Atoms. One decayed once, and my cat died.
 
I have a healthy respect for the pretty little peppers. My kitchen is a haz-mat zone whenever I make habanero relish. The simplest little things, like absent-mindedly scratching an itch can result in surprises.

rinsedhabaneros.jpg
 
  • #10
turbo-1 said:
habanero relish. The simplest little things, like absent-mindedly scratching an itch can result in surprises.
You're lucky it's just an itch.
How do you tell an organic chemist?
They are the ones that wash their hands BEFORE they go to the bathroom.
 
  • #11
BobG said:
Paper shredders. Never wear a tie around those things. A person's head will never fit down the little slot, but most people panic anyway.
Uh, I'm not sure that people actually fear having their head chopped into confetti (though I'll bet a shredded lip or nose might not be so much fun, even if unlikely).

However, I do think they quite reasonably fear being choked by their own tie.
 
  • #12
jimmysnyder said:
Atoms. One decayed once, and my cat died.

:biggrin:


:rolleyes:
How do you know it wasn't already dead? :smile:
 
  • #13
mgb_phys said:
You're lucky it's just an itch.
How do you tell an organic chemist?
They are the ones that wash their hands BEFORE they go to the bathroom.
When I was a process chemist in a Kraft pulp mill, I was VERY religious about the before-and-after hand-washing. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that when you are handling extracts from the system (black liquor from the digester, for instance) you are dealing with some extremely complex stuff, the health effects of which have never been studied in depth.
 
  • #14
~christina~ said:
Can anyone think of anymore hazardous items in our everyday lives that seem harmless enough?

Kittens. They are ankle-biting demons from hell.
 
  • #15
DaveC426913 said:
:biggrin:


:rolleyes:
How do you know it wasn't already dead? :smile:

Had to look ... Ya just had to look. :smile:


You cat killer you :biggrin:
 
  • #16
turbo-1 said:
I have a healthy respect for the pretty little peppers. My kitchen is a haz-mat zone whenever I make habanero relish. The simplest little things, like absent-mindedly scratching an itch can result in surprises.

When I was young, my grandfather was a pepper enthusiast and had quite a few different types in his back yard. One day I decided to check out a few of the peppers, so I proceeded hold a few of them and spin them around while still on their stems to get an up close look. Well, I was pretty allergic to pollen at the time, so at one point I gave both of my eyes a pretty good rub. WHAM! I don't think I've ever experienced a pain like that before. I remember laying on a couch for hours with a wet rag on my eyes, crying out because they stung so bad.

I literally hated peppers up until my early 20's where I, out of nowhere, seemed to develop a taste for them. Now I just about can't eat anything without straight peppers or at least pepper seasoning on it. The hotter the better!
 
  • #17
Alfi said:
Had to look ... Ya just had to look. :smile:


You cat killer you :biggrin:
Had to look and collapse kitty's wave-form...bad.
 
  • #18
B. Elliott said:
I literally hated peppers up until my early 20's where I, out of nowhere, seemed to develop a taste for them. Now I just about can't eat anything without straight peppers or at least pepper seasoning on it. The hotter the better!
Visit the "turbo-1's hot stuff" thread and get the recipe for making habanero relish. I'm about the only person who'll eat it apart from my brother and a neighbor - both chili-heads. Math Jeans swears by it and Astronuc likes it, too. You can make it in small batches and refrigerate it, or make larger batches like I do and process the canning jars in a boiling-water bath.
 
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  • #19
My son once accidentally shut his wifes cat in their bottom freezer refrigerator.

They found the frosted cat after hearing a strange muffled sound coming from the fridge.
 
  • #20
The little heating element on coffee makers stays hot for quite some time after it is shut off.
 
  • #21
The stainless steel basket on my espresso maker is heavy and after a mug's worth of boiling water and saturated steam has passed through it - it's a good idea to put it in the sink to cool off before scooping out the espresso grounds.
 
  • #22
edward said:
My son once accidentally shut his wifes cat in their bottom freezer refrigerator.

They found the frosted cat after hearing a strange muffled sound coming from the fridge.

This shouldn't be funny...

:smile: :smile: :smile:
 
  • #23
turbo-1 said:
Visit the "turbo-1's hot stuff" thread and get the recipe for making habanero relish. I'm about the only person who'll eat it apart from my brother and a neighbor - both chili-heads. Math Jeans swears by it and Astronuc likes it, too. You can make it in small batches and refrigerate it, or make larger batches like I do and process the canning jars in a boiling-water bath.

I'm going to have to make some and try it out. Just yesterday I picked a batch of plums and figs of our trees out back, so I've been on a bit of a home produce kick since then.:smile: The apples on our five-in-one apple tree are starting look nice, but not as big as expected. A friend suggested going ahead and pulling half of them to help the remainders grow better... that and something about it helping the overall tree grow larger next year.
 
  • #24
B. Elliott said:
I'm going to have to make some and try it out. Just yesterday I picked a batch of plums and figs of our trees out back, so I've been on a bit of a home produce kick since then.:smile: The apples on our five-in-one apple tree are starting look nice, but not as big as expected. A friend suggested going ahead and pulling half of them to help the remainders grow better... that and something about it helping the overall tree grow larger next year.
Another thing you should do is prune off all the sun-suckers - new growth that is vegetative, but did not blossom this year. They generally shoot up vertically, and they can shade other more productive branches that are not sapping the tree's energy with rapid growth-spurts. Good productive apple trees are usually quite "open" and are not overly leafy with new growth.

When I thin apples, I pick the apples that are the smallest, or that seem to have any damage or deformity first. Don't discard them near your trees because they can be a source of insect damage/disease. If they're not ripe enough to be usable, I like to run them through a food processor and dump them in the compost bins.
 
  • #25
DaveC426913 said:
Uh, I'm not sure that people actually fear having their head chopped into confetti (though I'll bet a shredded lip or nose might not be so much fun, even if unlikely).

However, I do think they quite reasonably fear being choked by their own tie.

Then ties should definitely be in the list. The only thing they're useful as are bibs for the sloppy men who would otherwise spill food on their shirts. :biggrin:

Ivan Seeking said:
Kittens. They are ankle-biting demons from hell.
:smile: Does she do the sneak attack from behind the sofa trick? I STILL get that one every once in a while.

I'll include cat TOYS on the list too. Similar to the dangers of Legos.
 
  • #26
Moonbear said:
I'll include cat TOYS on the list too. Similar to the dangers of Legos.
No need to include ferret toys. Ferrets put away their toys after playing with them, stashed in "secret" locations. They LOVE hiding stuff.
 
  • #27
Moonbear said:
:smile: Does she do the sneak attack from behind the sofa trick? I STILL get that one every once in a while.

At this point, if I don't have shoes on, it is virtually impossible to walk without snagging a very sharp foot attachment. And what absolutely cracks me up is the aggression. You would think that my foot is the most terrible thing on the planet, and that it MUST die.
 
  • #28
Ivan Seeking said:
You would think that my foot is the most terrible thing on the planet, and that it MUST die.

Does she hold it with her front paws, bite your ankle, and kick with her back legs...? That's what my Sweet Miss Phoebe does...I love her so much :!) !
 
  • #29
At first I though it is Evo related thread...

Open door can be a killer thing. In the dark, when you think you are just moving parallel to the wall and you hit door edge with your head. I broke my teeth last year this way.

Well, I broke this teeth over 20 years ago, so this time it was more pricey than painful.
 
  • #30
Dangerous items: shoes, pillows, furniture, wall corners, doors...
 
  • #31
Evo said:
Dangerous items: shoes, pillows, furniture, wall corners, doors...
For Evo, dangerous items include bubble wrap, sweatshirts, comfy slippers, Styrofoam insulation, life-jackets, potting soil,... Shall I continue? There is nothing that this woman cannot use to injure herself, including cotton balls and bath towels.
 
  • #32
lisab said:
Does she hold it with her front paws, bite your ankle, and kick with her back legs...? That's what my Sweet Miss Phoebe does...I love her so much :!) !

My moms cat used to like to run under and around peoples feet while they walked. I don't know how many times I almost fell on my face trying to avoid stepping on her. I think she finally got tired of getting kicked around though.
 
  • #33
For Evo: The damned strangest things, or everything just to be safe.
 
  • #34
lisab said:
Does she hold it with her front paws, bite your ankle, and kick with her back legs...? That's what my Sweet Miss Phoebe does...I love her so much :!) !

No, she likes to rabbit kick when she attacks my hand, but my feet are dedicated to ankle-biting.

They are so much fun. :biggrin: But I told Tsu that I know why they are so cute: They have to be or we would kill them!
 
  • #35
Ivan Seeking said:
No, she likes to rabbit kick when she attacks my hand, but my feet are dedicated to ankle-biting.

They are so much fun. :biggrin: But I told Tsu that I know why they are so cute: They have to be or we would kill them!

And the irony is if we were the size of a rat, we'd be their dinner !
 
  • #36
lisab said:
And the irony is if we were the size of a rat, we'd be their dinner !

It would probably be humiliating to know what goes on in their little heads. I am sure that we rank about as high as a paper bag and a bowl of food.
 
  • #37
B. Elliott said:
When I was young, my grandfather was a pepper enthusiast and had quite a few different types in his back yard. One day I decided to check out a few of the peppers, so I proceeded hold a few of them and spin them around while still on their stems to get an up close look. Well, I was pretty allergic to pollen at the time, so at one point I gave both of my eyes a pretty good rub. WHAM! I don't think I've ever experienced a pain like that before. I remember laying on a couch for hours with a wet rag on my eyes, crying out because they stung so bad.

I literally hated peppers up until my early 20's where I, out of nowhere, seemed to develop a taste for them. Now I just about can't eat anything without straight peppers or at least pepper seasoning on it. The hotter the better!

While disecting peppers, excercise caution if you require a bathroom break.
 
  • #38
Phrak said:
While disecting peppers, excercise caution if you require a bathroom break.

And don't pick your nose.
 
  • #39
wolram said:
Stop eating candy christina, it will ruin your complexion.

lol, I used to eat candy until I found that it was so dangerous.
 
  • #40
Borek said:
At first I though it is Evo related thread...

Open door can be a killer thing. In the dark, when you think you are just moving parallel to the wall and you hit door edge with your head. I broke my teeth last year this way.

Well, I broke this teeth over 20 years ago, so this time it was more pricey than painful.

ow...I hope it was just one tooth?

I seem to try to go and open the light and I swing my hand over and...slam it on the adjacent wall. Hand goes numb for awhile.
 
  • #41
~christina~ said:
ow...I hope it was just one tooth?

I seem to try to go and open the light and I swing my hand over and...slam it on the adjacent wall. Hand goes numb for awhile.

I always wonder why it hurts so much when we hit things unintentionally.

When, I hit wall on purpose, I don't feel any pain but moving in dark and hitting object[pointy ones particularly] gives big pain!
 
  • #42
rootX said:
When, I hit wall on purpose, I don't feel any pain but moving in dark and hitting object[pointy ones particularly] gives big pain!

I have to say that it might be due to us knowing that we are going to hit something so we are mentally prepared for the hit as opposed to us hitting something unintentionally.
 
  • #43
rootX said:
I always wonder why it hurts so much when we hit things unintentionally.

When, I hit wall on purpose, I don't feel any pain but moving in dark and hitting object[pointy ones particularly] gives big pain!

when it is intentional, you
1] brace yourself, turning the muscles into more efficient shock absorbers
2] use a part of your body (such as the flesh-padded side of your fist) that won't feel as much pain as another part (such as your toe).
3] may unconsciously recoil, hoping to avoid pain/damage
 
  • #44
The most dangerous object in the world - in the dark
http://www.richmond.ac.uk/images/resources/itav/av-equipment/uk-plug.jpg

And an early example of it's use
http://www.geocities.com/barensteel/SH12-7.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #45
~christina~ said:
ow...I hope it was just one tooth?

One. But it was already a troubled one. I have a weak teeth. As we say in Poland - teeth like pearls, hole in each. Or more like filling in each.
 
  • #46
That's why ours are better here in the US!
 
  • #47
Borek said:
One. But it was already a troubled one. I have a weak teeth. As we say in Poland - teeth like pearls, hole in each. Or more like filling in each.

lol

Can I say that this is a reason not to eat candy?
 
  • #48
Borek said:
One. But it was already a troubled one. I have a weak teeth. As we say in Poland - teeth like pearls, hole in each. Or more like filling in each.

Oh, so I should blame the Polish side of my family for that? I thought it was the British side. Or maybe my Polish mom and partly British dad just doomed me to bad teeth from the start. :rolleyes:
 
  • #49
~christina~ said:
Can I say that this is a reason not to eat candy?

You mean - candy like a dangerous everyday object? :smile:

I am just back from my dentist BTW. But it is not that bad now. Somehow the worst time was in my University times, I wonder if it was not because of chemicals.
 
  • #50
~christina~ said:
I find that many objects are hazardous. (they seem quite harmless untill..)

Doors...
Back when I had the Health and Safety introduction at the place where I work I was quite surprised by the fact that they spent so much time talking about doors, mainly about how we should avoid hitting someone in the face when opening one.
The weird thing is that it turns out that the doors ARE the most dangerous "tools" where I work (and I work at a research institute where we handle cryogenic liquids, high voltages/currents, radioactive samples, nasty chemicals etc). The thing is that there are a LOT of doors where I work, whoever designed the building really went to great lengths to reduce the risk of a fire in one of the labs spreading via the corridors. However, this also means that you spend a lot of time opening doors (I have to open 12 doors just walking from from my office to the lab) and when people are in a hurry they tend to just push them open (there are no handles) as fast as they can, meaning loitering in front of a closed door is a really bad idea
So far I have been hit twice, and according to the annual incident report I am not the only one...
 

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