Spraying safely: PPE, weather, drift, pets, kids and waterways

Lawn chemicals are registered by the APVMA on the basis that they’re used exactly as their label says. The label is a legal document: it sets the rate, where and how the product can be used, the protective equipment to wear, how long to keep people and animals off, and how to store and dispose of it. This guide covers the practical side; the label always comes first.

Before you buy

• Do you need a chemical at all? Many weeds can be dug out, and many lawn problems are fixed by watering, feeding or mowing differently.
• Is it the right product? The label must list your grass type and the weed, pest or disease. On buffalo this is critical.
• Can you apply it safely? Some products need equipment or conditions that suit professionals better.

Lower-risk choices

The safest chemical application is the one you don’t need to make. Before you spray:

• Fix the cause. Weeds move into thin, patchy lawns. Feeding, watering and mowing at the right height often do more than any spray.
• Dig it out. A few weeds are quicker to remove by hand than to spray, especially bindii in winter while plants are small.
• Spot spray instead of blanket spraying. Treating only the weeds uses far less product than covering the whole lawn.
• Choose the right product for the job. Where two registered products both list your grass and your weed, compare their safety directions and signal headings, and how long people and pets must stay off.
• Time it well. A product applied at the right stage of the weed’s growth works better, so you’re less likely to need a second application.

Know the label’s safety sections

Before you open the container, find these parts of the label:

• The signal heading at the top, such as CAUTION or POISON. It reflects how hazardous the product is, and tells you how careful you need to be.
• Directions for use: where the product can be used, on what, at what rate, and any restrictions.
• General instructions: mixing, application, and any warnings about compatibility, weather or sensitive plants.
• Safety directions: the protective equipment to wear and other precautions.
• First aid: what to do if the product is swallowed or gets on skin or in eyes.
• Storage and disposal: how to store the product and get rid of empty containers.

The APVMA’s guide to understanding labels explains each section. If you can’t read or understand a label, don’t use the product.

Protective equipment

Wear what the label lists. The safety directions section says what’s needed for mixing and for spraying, which can differ. Gloves, long sleeves, long trousers, enclosed shoes and eye protection are a sensible minimum when handling concentrates, even if the label asks for less. Wash gloves before taking them off, then wash your hands and face.

Mixing safely

Most accidents happen while handling the concentrate, not while spraying.

1. Mix outdoors on a hard surface you can clean, away from drains, ponds, children and pets.
2. Put on your protective equipment before you open the container.
3. Measure with a cylinder or jug kept only for chemicals, at eye level, so you can read it accurately.
4. Partly fill the sprayer with water first if the label says so, then add the product, then top up.
5. Close the container straight away and put it back in storage before you start spraying.
6. Mix only what you need for today. Never mix two products unless both labels allow it.

Weather and drift

Drift is spray that moves off target, onto your garden, your neighbour’s plants, a pond or a person. Home garden herbicide labels carry the caution not to let spray contact or drift onto plants you don’t want killed.

• Wind: don’t spray in strong wind, and spray when the breeze is blowing away from sensitive areas. The APVMA’s guidance on spraying covers wind speed and direction; follow any wind limits on your label.
• Still, hot conditions: spraying on hot afternoons increases evaporation and drift, and can stress the lawn. Early morning is usually best.
• Rain: check the label’s rain-free period. Rain too soon washes product off and can carry it into drains.
• Spray quality: a coarse spray at low pressure drifts less than a fine mist.

Children and pets

• Keep children and pets inside while you mix and spray.
• Keep them off treated areas for as long as the label says, often at least until the spray has dried.
• Don’t leave mixing buckets, sprayers or spills where they can be reached.
• If a person is exposed or swallows a product, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24 hours, Australia-wide). In an emergency, call 000. For pets, call your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline on 1300 869 738. Have the label with you.

Waterways and drains

Stormwater drains lead to creeks, rivers and the sea, usually without treatment. Never mix, rinse or spill products near drains, and don’t spray over hard surfaces that drain to the street. Some insecticides are labelled as toxic to aquatic life; follow those directions closely.

Neighbours

Spray drift doesn’t stop at the fence. Before you spray near a boundary:

• check which way the breeze is blowing and wait if it’s towards your neighbour’s garden;
• let your neighbour know, especially if they grow vegetables, keep bees or have pets or children outside;
• use a spray shield, keep the nozzle low and leave a buffer strip along the fence if you’re unsure.

Bees

Some insecticides are labelled as toxic to bees. Don’t spray flowering weeds such as clover when the label warns about bees; mow the flowers off first or choose another approach.

Safe areas after spraying

Treated lawns are often where children play and pets lie in the sun. Plan around that:

• Spray when the lawn won’t be needed for the rest of the day, such as early on a weekday morning.
• Put the toys, water bowls and outdoor furniture away before you start.
• Close gates or use a temporary barrier to keep dogs off until the label’s re-entry conditions are met.
• Tell everyone in the house which areas were sprayed, and when they can use them again.

Storage

Store products in their original, labelled containers, closed, in a locked cupboard or shed, away from children, pets, food and heat. Never decant into drink bottles.

Disposal

Mix only what you need. Never pour leftover chemicals down the sink, toilet or stormwater drain, and never put liquid chemicals in the household bin. Use your state’s household chemical collection:

• NSW: Household Chemical CleanOut events (NSW EPA)
• Victoria: Detox Your Home (Sustainability Victoria)
• Queensland: council household hazardous waste services, such as Brisbane City Council’s
• South Australia: free household chemical drop-off depots (Green Industries SA)
• Western Australia: Household Hazardous Waste Program facilities (Waste Authority WA)
• ACT: free drop-off of household quantities at the Mugga Lane and Mitchell resource management centres
• Tasmania: household hazardous waste collection days, such as TasWaste South’s in the south
• Northern Territory: in Darwin, the Shoal Bay Transfer Station accepts household chemicals

Services and limits change, so check before you go. The storing and disposing guide has more detail.

If you feel unwell

Stop spraying if you develop symptoms such as a headache, nausea, dizziness, or irritation of the skin, eyes or throat while using a chemical, or soon after. Move away from the spray area, take off contaminated clothing, wash your skin with plenty of water, and call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 with the product label in hand. Call 000 if someone has trouble breathing, collapses or has a seizure.

Cleaning up after spraying

• Spray any leftover mix onto the treated area at the label rate, if the label allows it.
• Rinse the sprayer, wand and nozzle, and spray the rinsings over the treated area or dispose of them as the label says.
• Follow the label’s container disposal instructions. Many labels ask you to rinse empty containers and add the rinsings to the spray tank. Never reuse a chemical container.
• Wash your gloves while you’re still wearing them, then take them off and wash your hands and face.
• Wash spray clothing separately from the rest of the household washing.
• Write down what you used, where, how much and the weather. Your Lawn Journal has a spray diary for this.

If something goes wrong

• Spray on your skin or in your eyes: follow the first aid instructions on the label, and call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
• Someone swallows a product: call 13 11 26 straight away, or 000 if they are unconscious, having trouble breathing or fitting. Have the container with you.
• A spill: keep children and pets away and follow the spill directions on the label or safety data sheet. Soak up liquids with an absorbent material such as sand or soil, and never hose a spill into a drain.
• Spray drifts onto plants you wanted to keep: rinse them with plenty of water straight away, then check the label for any further advice.

Record keeping

Record-keeping rules mainly apply to commercial users. In NSW, for example, people who use pesticides for commercial or occupational purposes must record their use, while home garden use is exempt unless the label or a permit says otherwise. Check your state’s requirements. Logging each application in your Lawn Journal gives you a record either way.