Supplying pesticides and biocides
If you supply pesticides or biocides in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must check that:
- The product has the correct approval or authorisation for sale and use in the UK or EU, depending on location
- Labelling, packaging and advertising comply with regulatory requirements
- You provide a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) if required under REACH regulations.
Apply to place pesticides and biocides on the market
Before advertising, selling, supplying, storing, or using a new pesticide or biocidal product you must check whether it requires formal authorisation. If it does you must:
- apply to the relevant registration authority
- supply them with all the data and information they need to evaluate your product.
See the page in this guideline: Getting approval for pesticides and biocides
Competent authorities
The competent authorities are:
- In Scotland - Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- In Northern Ireland - DAERA
Once a product is approved and placed on the market, you must monitor its use. If you discover:
- harmful effects on human health or the environment
- unwanted effects on the target being treated
You must report these to the registration authority as soon as possible.
If you place a biocidal product on the market for the first time, you must notify the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) with specific product details.
NPIS: What the Biocidal Products Regulations mean
Provide information for customers
When marketing or selling pesticides or biocides you must:
- ensure that all packaging, labelling and advertising meets the requirements in the product's authorisation.
- meet the requirements of the Chemical Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulations, where applicable.
You may also be required to
- display hazard warning labels
- provide an SDS under REACH regulations
Chemical storage requirements
If you sell, supply or store to sell plant protection products, you should follow the 'Code of Practice for Suppliers of Pesticides to Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry' (the Yellow Code). This statutory code of practice covers:
- storage
- training requirements
- transport
- waste disposal
- how to deal with spills
HSE Chemicals regulation Directorate: The Yellow Code
Sales and storekeepers competence
If you sell or supply plant protection products, you or your staff must hold a certificate of competence for sales or sales storekeeping. BASIS is an organisation set up to establish and assess standards in the pesticides industry.
The Yellow Code will also tell you who needs a certificate of competence for the job they do.
Ensure your staff keep their training up-to-date.
Check purchaser competence
You must ensure that customers buying professional use plant protection products have a valid certificate of competence.
- In Scotland it is a legal requirement to verify that the user holds an appropriate certificate before selling the product
- In Northern Ireland see section 2 (Training and certification) of the DAERA code of practice.
DAERA: Code of Practice for using plant protection products