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Chemical Safety Around Children

Children put their hands in their mouths, touch everything and breathe faster than adults. That is why chemicals on a farm call for extra care wherever children live and play.

Why are children more affected by chemicals?

Children are smaller, so the same exposure can have a bigger effect on their bodies. They explore with their hands and mouths, crawl on floors and play on grass and soil where residues may remain. They also cannot read labels or understand warnings.

Farm chemicals include pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, solvents, cleaners, animal health products and more. Many look like drinks or candy to a child, especially if they have been moved to a different container.

The EPA, NIOSH and the CDC publish official information on chemical exposure and children. Check their current pages for details, and read the product label every time. Think about where children spend time: the yard, the garden, the barn, the kitchen. Chemicals that reach any of these spaces, even in small amounts, matter more for a small child than for an adult.

What does safe handling look like in principle?

The label is the law on any pesticide, and the safety data sheet explains hazards for other products. Follow both, and keep children well away while chemicals are mixed, applied or cleaned up. Do not guess at protective equipment; the label and the manufacturer say what is required.

Keep children out of treated areas for as long as the label requires. Ask your state agriculture department or extension office about the rules that apply to you, since requirements vary by state.

Never let children help with mixing, loading or cleanup. Some products need more than gloves. The label tells you exactly what protective equipment is required, and it is not up to you or a neighbor to decide that it is optional.

• Read the label and safety data sheet every time
• Keep children away during mixing and application
• Follow the label for re-entry to treated areas
• Check with your state agriculture department and extension office

How should chemicals be stored?

Keep all chemicals in their original labeled containers, in a locked place children cannot reach, away from food, feed, drinks and living spaces. Never put a chemical in a food or drink container, even briefly.

A separate article on this site covers storage in more detail. Check labels for storage requirements and ask your extension office for current guidance.

Lock the storage, and keep the key where children cannot find it. Keep a spare set of clean clothing near the entry of the shop so that changing out of work clothes is easy to do every time. Easy habits are the ones people keep.

How do I keep chemical residue out of the house?

Residues can travel on boots, clothing, tools and hands. Take off work boots and clothes before entering the home, and wash work clothes separately from family laundry. Wash hands and arms after any chemical work.

Keep children's play areas, toys and gardens away from treated areas and equipment. Rinse produce and follow guidance on pre-harvest intervals from the label.

NIOSH and EPA have material on take-home exposure. Check their current pages. If anyone in the household is pregnant, ask your doctor about working with or near chemicals. Official sources such as the CDC and EPA publish guidance, and a doctor can advise on your situation.

What do I do if a child may have been exposed?

Act at once. For a child who is unconscious, having trouble breathing, having a seizure, or very ill, call 911. For other situations, call Poison Control and follow their instructions. Poison Control is available at the national number listed on the official site; look it up now and put it by your phone.

Have the product container or label available when you call, since responders and poison specialists will ask what the product is.

Do not induce vomiting or give anything by mouth unless the professional tells you to. Do not delay in seeking help. Poison Control staff are used to calls from frightened parents. Call early instead of waiting to see whether symptoms appear.

What should children be taught?

Teach children that anything in a bottle, bag or jug in the shop or shed is not for touching. Explain that some products can make people very sick, and that they should tell an adult at once if they find an open container or a spill.

Keep the message short and calm, and repeat it every season. Remind visitors and cousins too.

Do not rely on teaching alone. Children cannot be asked to protect themselves from products they cannot understand. Include teenagers in the conversation too. They may help with farm tasks and need to know why handling and storage rules exist, and that they must not use products without training and the label.

What can adults do to prepare?

Review what you keep. Reduce quantities, dispose of old products using methods approved by your local program, and avoid keeping products you no longer use. Ask your county or state about collection programs for unwanted pesticides.

Keep emergency numbers visible, and make sure every adult knows what to do. Consider an AgriSafe or extension training on chemical safety for you and your workers.

Update your plan whenever products change. Review where products are and who has the key before each season.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.