Household accidents can result from carelessly storing everyday items. Here are a few scenarios you may want to think twice about. These safety tips become doubly important in households that include young children.

• Using a microwave as a storage space. Avoid storing papers or packaged foods here. You don't even have to turn on the microwave to spark a fire, say the experts from Underwriters Laboratories, an independent, not-for-profit product-safety testing and certification organization. A power surge can trigger a fire in the microwave oven. Keep an oven empty unless you're using it.
• Storing items in a toaster oven. Turning a toaster oven on requires only light pressure on the switch. If you inadvertently flip the switch, any contents could go up in flames.
• Repackaging nonfood items in food containers. Poisoning can occur when people eat what they think is food because it's in familiar food packaging. Various poison-control centers often receive reports of people drinking weed killer or other dangerous household chemicals that are stored in food containers, such as old juice jars.
• Repackaging food in different food containers. You don't want someone with food allergies accidentally eating a food that he or f she is allergic to because that person thought it was something else. Keep food in its original containers with the original labels whenever possible. When it's not practical to do so, take the original label and paste it on the new container just to be safe.