Safe use and storage means selecting the right chemical, following its label and safety data sheet (SDS), controlling exposure during transport, mixing and application, and keeping stock secure, separated and ready for an emergency. On construction and maintenance sites this can include herbicides, pesticides, pest-control products, disinfectants and chemicals used in landscaping or grounds work.
Information current: 7 August 2026.
The current NSW Code applies across NSW workplaces covered by the WHS Act where agricultural and veterinary chemicals are used or stored, including relevant work by contractors, groundskeepers and pest controllers. Local requirements vary across Australia, so check current regulator material, product approvals and environmental rules for the place where the work occurs. National model material is useful for general orientation but is not automatically the law in every jurisdiction.
Main hazards
Chemical harm is not limited to a dramatic spill. Exposure can occur by breathing mist, vapour or dust, through skin or eye contact, or by swallowing contamination transferred from hands, food or cigarettes. Risk can rise during decanting, mixing concentrates, spraying, equipment cleaning and waste handling.
Other hazards include:
- spray drift reaching workers, neighbours, waterways or nearby work areas
- incompatible chemicals reacting in storage
- fire, corrosive products, toxic gases or leaking containers
- unlabelled decanted product or an out-of-date SDS
- manual handling, slips and contaminated clothing
- unauthorised access to a site shed, ute or storage cabinet.
Sort these matters before work starts
Identify each product, the task, the quantity and who may be exposed. Labels and SDS provide key information on hazards, exposure controls, spill response, PPE, storage and disposal. Check that the intended use is permitted and that the proposed method matches the label or any applicable permit.
Consult the workers doing the task and coordinate with the principal contractor, client and nearby trades. Confirm:
- where delivery, storage, mixing, application, wash-down and waste handling will occur
- weather, ventilation, ignition sources, drains, waterways and public access
- suitable application equipment, isolation and spill containment
- worker competence, supervision, hygiene facilities and emergency contacts
- whether neighbouring work must stop or an exclusion zone and re-entry period are needed.
The NSW Code describes PCBU duties that include correct labelling, access to SDS, worker information and training, and hazardous chemical registers or manifests where relevant.
What good controls and documents cover
Start with elimination or substitution where practical: avoid the application, use a less hazardous product or choose a method that creates less mist or dust. Then consider isolation, closed transfer or mixing systems, ventilation, barriers and controlled access. PPE should be selected for the product and task, fitted, cleaned, stored and replaced correctly; it should support the higher-level controls.
Storage should be secure, labelled and segregated, with containment suited to leaks and the chemical class. Highly toxic chemicals require restricted access, while incompatible substances should be separated. Keep chemicals out of food or drink areas and never use an unlabelled drink container.
A suitable spill kit should be accessible at chemical storage and mixing areas, matched to the products and kept stocked. Emergency arrangements should cover raising the alarm, first aid, isolation, containment, decontamination and disposal without exposing the responder.
Useful site documents commonly include a chemical register with current SDS, a task risk assessment or safe work procedure, training and consultation records, equipment checks, application records, emergency arrangements and evidence that controls are reviewed and maintained. The NSW Code says implemented controls must be maintained so they remain effective. It also identifies risk assessments, training records, monitoring records and a hazardous chemicals register with SDS among the records to keep.
When a SWMS or site-specific document applies
For construction work, a SWMS commonly applies when the chemical task is part of high-risk construction work, such as work in a confined space or near live traffic, services or other prescribed hazards. Chemical use may also need a site-specific procedure, risk assessment, permit, environmental control plan or principal-contractor approval even where the task is not high-risk construction work.
Do not copy a generic chemical section into a SWMS and leave it there. The document should match the actual product, application method, work area, interaction with other trades, controls and emergency response. Check the applicable jurisdiction and project requirements before starting.
Practical warning signs
Pause the task if:
- the label is missing, unreadable or does not match the container
- the SDS is unavailable or workers cannot explain the key controls
- wind, heat or ventilation makes drift or exposure hard to control
- required PPE is damaged, unsuitable or cannot be fitted properly
- the storage area is unlocked, leaking, unbunded or contains incompatible products
- there is no safe wash-down, waste route, spill response or re-entry control
- conditions have changed but the risk documents have not.
How Blue Safe can help
Blue Safe provides compliant WHS documents tailored to the client's activities, applicable Australian WHS/OHS requirements, jurisdiction and industry. Blue Safe guarantees the document compliance of the WHS documents it provides, including eligible customer documents after Blue Safe has reviewed and upgraded them.
This can include tailored chemical-use procedures, risk assessments, SWMS where applicable, registers, inspection records and emergency documentation. Customers actively put the compliant documents into practice through controls, consultation, training, actions, records and evidence.