O uso de embalagens de produtos químicos saneantes e a percepção de risco: o caso de pessoas idosas.

Abstract

This research evaluated the risk perception of users related to the packaging of household cleaning products, from labeling normalization to format and colors, seeking to understand the decision-making process of safety (or negligence) and its relation with the risk when using. For such, an experimental and descriptive approach applied, starting from an analysis of a case study: the elderly consumers of household cleaning products who study in a university in São Luís, Maranhão. The research was divided on three stages: 1. Date were collected by field observation, interviews and questionnaires; 2 survey of packages and labeling analysis considering some variables related to the standard NBR ABNT 14725-3 (2012), an Brazilian standardization, and the informational ergonomics scientific literature and; 3. evaluations of graphic symbols presented on the packaging were executed using the techniques proposed by Formiga (2011) and, finally an evaluation of risk perception considering the shape and the package’s colors using Virtual Reality (VR) (AYANOĞLU et al., 2013; SERIG, 2000). In general, results presented that there are more significant categories of products for the elderly people, and that the problem stands out for labeling, is related to nonpresentation of the consequences of exposure of the product, difficulty in reading the labels, and poor understanding of the pictograms presented. Also, results of the experiment showed that the risk perception is influenced by shape and color of the lid and the container of the package, but there are no significant differences between the variables gender, schooling and religion.