General information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). The NSW Poisons Information Centre gives advice on bites, stings and poisons on 13 11 26.
Who looks after what
Two regulators share the job. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) assesses and registers pesticides, up to the point of sale. After that, the states take over: in New South Wales, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulates the use, storage and disposal of pesticides.
The APVMA is plain that it does not monitor or enforce correct use. It puts correct use on the person using the product, before anyone else, and notes that some of the safety and use directions on a label are legally binding.
Four tiers before a spray
The EPA recommends integrated pest management, which it calls an environmentally sensitive way of managing pests, for homes and gardens as well as farms. It sets out a four-tiered approach developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency:
- Set a threshold for action. Seeing a single pest does not always mean control is needed.
- Watch and identify. Many weeds and insects thought of as pests are harmless or even beneficial, and naming the pest correctly lowers the risk of using the wrong product, or a pesticide where something else would work better.
- Prevent. In buildings, the EPA’s examples are reducing clutter and keeping good hygiene.
- Control, least risk first. Physical controls such as trapping or weeding come before chemicals; targeted spraying follows only if those don’t work, and general spraying of non-specific pesticides only if everything else has failed.
Reading the label
The EPA’s rule is that the label (or the APVMA permit instructions) must be read before you use a pesticide, by you or aloud to you, so that:
- you know which precautions apply
- you understand where it can’t be used, for example before rain or close to waterways
- you are sure it suits the pest you are dealing with.
If the label doesn’t cover your pest and situation, you must find a product you can legally use, for example through the APVMA’s database or by asking the manufacturer or supplier. That database, PubCRIS, lists every registered product and can be searched by product name, ingredient, product category or pest type; many records include the label’s safety and use directions. The EPA also suggests weighing a product’s toxicity and persistence, its possible effect on the environment, and how well it works on the pest.
Near the bush and water, the limits on a label matter more than usual. Some insecticide sprays harm fish, so NSW Health warns against using them around aquariums and fishponds. Then there is resistance: pests can stop responding to a pesticide, and the EPA’s advice for slowing it is to follow the label closely and not rely on pesticides alone.
Keeping it in the shed
Gardening products, weed killer, pesticides and insect spray are all on the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network’s list of household poisons. Children between one and three are at higher risk, and poisonings often happen when chemicals are stored in everyday containers like lunchboxes or glass bottles. The network’s factsheet suggests:
- locked cupboards, out of children’s reach
- original containers, clearly labelled, with lids and seals closed securely
- putting things back in their storage spot straight after use
- opening windows and doors when using sprays.
If it goes wrong
Pesticide poisoning can happen by breathing it in, swallowing it or getting it on the skin. The centre’s list of symptoms includes irritated eyes and skin, a cough or sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, headaches, extreme weakness, seizures and unconsciousness. After an accidental exposure they usually appear within a few hours, but in rare cases they show up more than 12 hours later, so feeling fine at first is no guarantee. The NSW Poisons Information Centre says not to wait for symptoms, and its first aid starts with the emergency, then depends on the route:
If the person is unconscious or not breathing, the centre says to call Triple Zero (000), ask for an ambulance and start CPR straight away.
| Route | First aid | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Swallowed | Don’t try to make the person vomit, and give nothing to eat or drink until you have talked to the Poisons Information Centre. | Take a photo of the label (or write down the brand and product name) and ring 13 11 26. |
| In the eye | Hold the eyelids open and gently flood the eye with cool water for 15 minutes, from a running tap or poured from a cup or jug. | Take a photo of the label (or write down the brand and product name) and ring 13 11 26. |
| On the skin | Remove clothing the poison is on, without letting it touch you, then run plenty of cool water over the skin. | Take a photo of the label (or write down the brand and product name) and ring 13 11 26. |
| Breathed in | Move the person into fresh air straight away, without putting yourself at risk, and keep out of the fumes. If it is safe, open doors and windows wide. | Take a photo of the label (or write down the brand and product name) and ring 13 11 26. |
The empty container
Empty pesticide containers are classed as hazardous waste. The EPA’s triple-rinse method empties the remaining contents into the spray tank, rinses the container three times with clean water filled to 20 to 25%, shaking for at least 30 seconds each time and pouring the rinse water into the tank, then leaves it to drain and dry with the cap off. Triple-rinsed containers under 1 litre or 1 kilogram can go in household kerbside collection; ones that haven’t been rinsed cannot, and must go to a facility that can lawfully accept them. Your local council can advise.
Unwanted pesticides and herbicides themselves are among the things the NSW EPA’s Household Chemical CleanOut events take.