Chemical safety

How to choose, use, store and dispose of lawn chemicals safely, and what to do if something goes wrong.

Last updated 5 October 2026

In an emergency

  • Poisoning or suspected poisoning: call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26, 24 hours a day, anywhere in Australia. Have the product container with you.
  • If someone is unconscious, having trouble breathing or fitting: call 000.
  • Follow the first aid instructions on the product label.

More: NSW Poisons Information Centre and healthdirect: pesticide poisoning.

Read the whole label, every time

In Australia, agricultural and garden chemical products are registered by the APVMA, and the label is a legal document. It tells you:

  • what the product is registered for (the weeds, pests or diseases, and the grass types);
  • how much to use and how to mix it;
  • when not to use it (for example in hot weather or before rain);
  • what protective equipment to wear;
  • how long to keep people and pets off the treated area;
  • first aid, storage and disposal instructions.

Use the product only as the label directs. Using it in other ways is unsafe and can be illegal. The APVMA’s guide to understanding chemical labels explains each section. You can check a product’s registration on the APVMA’s PubCRIS register.

Before you spray or spread

  • Check the weather. Don’t spray in wind, which causes drift, or in the conditions the label warns against.
  • Wear the protective gear the label lists.
  • Keep children and pets away while you mix and apply, and until the label’s re-entry conditions are met.
  • Mix only what you need, measured accurately. The Application Calculator helps.
  • Never use food or drink containers to measure or store chemicals.
  • Protect waterways. Keep chemicals and fertilisers off paths, driveways and gutters, where rain washes them into stormwater drains.

See also our spraying safely guide.

Storage

  • Keep products in their original containers with the label attached.
  • Store them locked away, out of reach of children and pets.
  • Keep them cool, dry and away from food, animal feed and sources of ignition.

Disposal

Never pour chemicals down the sink, toilet or stormwater drain. Use your state or council’s household chemical collection service, for example:

[CONFIRM: add household chemical disposal links for other states and territories]

Keep a record

Logging each application in your Lawn Journal (product, rate, date, area and weather) helps you follow label limits on how often a product can be applied, and gives you the details if you ever need to call the Poisons Information Centre.