Fire & Emergency New Zealand

Notifying fumigation activity

Fumigants are used to control a variety of pests and are important for agriculture, horticulture and biosecurity.

If you’re carrying out the following commercial fumigation activities, you must notify Fire and Emergency at least 24 hours before you start fumigating. This is required under the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 – effective from 1 December 2017.

  • Space fumigation
  • Fumigation in a glasshouse
  • Fumigation of soil or compost in a glasshouse, building, or other enclosed structure
  • Soil fumigation outdoors
  • Fumigation of commodities on a ship
  • Fumigation of a ship or aircraft
  • Fumigation under sheets
  • Fumigation of mammals underground.

Notify the Communication Centre

Please download and complete the fumigation activity notification form and email it to your local Communication Centre before you start fumigating.

The information you provide will help us to respond in the event of an emergency, with the right people and equipment, and to help us to better prepare for future emergencies.

Fumigation at established locations

If your fumigation activities are carried out on a routine basis as part of regular work, and the location is secured, then you may only need to notify us once.

For more information on whether you need to notify or not, refer to WorkSafe for guidance, or the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017