Pesticides: Code of practice for using plant protection products (PB11090)

Pesticides: Code of practice for using plant protection products

PB11090
January 2006

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Contents

A1 Action plans
A2 Personal contamination
A3 Dealing with spillage
A4 Suspected animal poisoning
A5 Fire

C1 General notice under Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
C2 Notice of issuing this code under section 17 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985
C3 Notice of this code being approved by the Health and Safety Commission under section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
C4 Notice of this code being approved under regulation 21 of the Groundwater Regulations 1998

1.1 How do I decide if it is necessary to use a pesticide?
1.2 What advice is given in this code?
1.3 What does this code cover?
1.4 What is the legal status of this code?
1.5 Who should read this code?
1.6 What other advice is available?
1.7 Special terms

2.1 Who must be trained in using pesticides?
2.2 What training do I need?
2.3 When would I need a certificate of competence?
2.4 How can I use pesticides without a certificate of competence?
2.5 Where do I get certificates of competence?
2.6 What training and certificates are needed for salespeople, advisers, managers and people who draft contracts?
2.7 Continuing professional development (CPD)

3.1 Making the risk of using pesticides as low as possible

3.1.1 Considering whether to use a pesticide
3.1.2 What to do if you decide that you need to use a pesticide
3.1.3 Choosing the right pesticide

3.2 The product label

3.2.2 Other information
3.2.3 Checking the approval
3.2.4 The label
3.2.5 Off-label approvals
3.2.6 Treated seeds, cuttings and so on
3.2.7 Applying a pre-prepared pesticide

3.3 Storing pesticides

3.3.2 How should I store pesticides?
3.3.3 What extra conditions apply to mobile stores?
3.3.4 Moving pesticides into and out of the store
3.3.5 Do not leave pesticide containers unattended

3.4 The COSHH assessment

3.4.1 When do COSHH regulations apply?
3.4.2 When is an assessment suitable and sufficient?
3.4.3 Finding out about the dangers
3.4.4 Assessing the risks, who might be harmed and how?
3.4.5 Deciding what needs to be done to control exposure
3.4.6 Recording the assessment
3.4.7 Reviewing the assessment

3.5 Preventing people being exposed to pesticides at work

3.5.2 How can exposure be prevented or adequately controlled?
3.5.3 Measures for preventing exposure to pesticides
3.5.4 Measures for controlling exposure to pesticides
3.5.5 Using personal protective equipment (PPE)
3.5.6 Suitable personal protection equipment
3.5.7 Maintaining control measures
3.5.8 Welfare facilities
3.5.9 What you need to do

3.6 Monitoring exposure and health surveillance

3.6.1 When is it necessary to monitor exposure to pesticides?
3.6.2 What is health surveillance?
3.6.3 When is health surveillance necessary?
3.6.4 What else do employers need to do?
3.6.5 What about sudden illness?

3.7 Protecting the public

3.7.1 Neighbouring property
3.7.2 When must notice be given?
3.7.3 Giving notice to bystanders and occupiers of neighbouring property
3.7.4 Public rights of way
3.7.5 Who should I tell if there is an incident involving pesticides?
3.7.6 Further information

3.8 Protecting wildlife and the environment

3.8.1 Assessing possible negative effects
3.8.2 How can wildlife and plants be protected?
3.8.3 Specially designated areas
3.8.4 How can wild birds and mammals be protected?
3.8.5 How can bees be protected?
3.8.6 Other beneficial species
3.8.7 Livestock
3.8.8 Fish and other aquatic life
3.8.9 Wildlife incident investigation scheme (WIIS)
3.8.10 Preventing pesticides from contaminating surface water and groundwater
3.8.11 Controlling weeds in or near water
3.8.12 Applying pesticides from an aircraft
3.8.13 Invasive weeds

4.2 Preparing to apply pesticides

4.2.1 Checks to carry out
4.2.2 Dangerous practices

4.3 Handling pesticide containers
4.4 Transporting pesticides

4.4.1 The law
4.4.2 General precautions when transporting pesticides
4.4.3 Transporting pesticides inside a vehicle
4.4.4 Loading and unloading pesticides
4.4.5 Further action

4.5 Filling equipment

4.5.1 Where should I fill the equipment used to apply pesticides?
4.5.2 What precautions should I take when filling equipment?

4.6 Methods of applying pesticide

4.6.1 Choosing a method
4.6.2 How you should apply the pesticide to the area to be treated
4.6.3 Which application methods need special precautions?
4.6.4 Ground-based reduced-volume spraying
4.6.5 Fogs, mists and smokes in enclosed spaces
4.6.6 Fumigants
4.6.7 Dusts, granules, pellets and baits
4.6.8 Using vehicles without cabs
4.6.9 Paved areas and public footpaths
4.6.10 Using hand-held equipment
4.6.11 Seed treatments
4.6.12 Dipping and drenching treatments
4.6.13 Weed control in or near water
4.6.14 Applying pesticides from an aircraft

4.7 Spray drift

4.7.1 The effects of spray drift
4.7.2 What causes spray drift?
4.7.3 Weather conditions
4.7.4 How can off-target drift be prevented or controlled?

4.8 After working with pesticides

4.8.1 What you need to do after you have applied a pesticide

5.2 Change to the law for farmers and growers
5.3 How to reduce the amount of waste you produce
5.4 How to dispose of unwanted pesticide concentrates and ready-to-use formulations?
5.5 How to dispose of dilute pesticide waste
5.6 How to dispose of waste pesticide containers
5.7 How to dispose of other pesticide waste materials
5.8 Where you can get more information

6.2 Storage records
6.3 Records of pesticide treatments
6.4 COSHH assessment records
6.5 Records of environmental risk assessments
6.6 Records of monitoring exposure
6.7 Maintenance records of exposure control measures
6.8 Health surveillance records
6.9 Disposal records
Summary of records to be kept (Table 7)

DEFRA PB11090, January 2006
Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the National Assembly for Wales
(C) Crown Copyright. Reproduced for ADLib under Licence.

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