§ 1. At its meeting on 25th March the Veterinary Products Committee considered the Minister's request for advice on whether it would be prudent in the light of the evidence currently available to have a moratorium on organophosphorus (OP) sheep dips until its current review of these products is complete. For this meeting the committee was joined by Peter Blain, Professor in Environmental Medicine at Newcastle University Medical School, Miss P. Casey of the National Poisons Information Service (Birmingham Centre), and Dr. G. D'Mello and Mr. D. Swanston, consultant toxicologists, acting as expert consultants and participating fully in the committee's deliberations.
§ 2. The committee received the papers listed in the attached annex, saw photographs of the severe effects of sheep scab and myiasis (blowfly strike) in sheep, and heard presentations from the South West Environmental Protection Agency, the National Poisons Information Service (Guy's Hospital London Centre), the National Office of Animal Health, the Institute of Occupational Medicine at Edinburgh and the Health and Safety Executive.
§ 3. The committee were advised that unless preventive measures were taken to combat myiasis and sheep scab, these distressing and potentially fatal diseases could cause severe welfare problems in sheep. The committee were also advised that it is the responsibility of farmers to safeguard the welfare of their animals. Concern was expressed about recent 91WA reports of the increased incidence of sheep scab and its potential for spread, bearing in mind the contagious nature of the infestation. The current incidence of myiasis in UK flocks also gave cause for concern.
§ 4. The Committee noted:
- reports alleging adverse health effects in humans arising from the use of OP sheep dips;
- evidence that exposure to OP compounds during dipping was greatly reduced if the correct protective clothing was worn and correct dipping practices followed;
- that further research was in progress to assess the long term implications for human health from OP dip use;
- that some alternative products to OP dips were currently available for the prevention and treatment of sheep scab and myiasis, but insufficient quantities would be available for the (non statutory) 1993 summer dipping season;
- that if sheep scab and myiasis were left untreated serious animal welfare problems would ensue causing the deaths of many sheep;
- that sheep dip could cause environmental harm if disposed of incorrectly.
§ 5. After careful consideration of all the evidence available to it, the committee advises that OP sheep dips should continue to be available for the 1993 summer dip but that the future licensing of these products should be reconsidered at its October 1993 meeting when it would wish to conclude its current review on the basis of the futher data currently being generated.
§ 6. In the light of evidence of poor use of protective clothing and incorrect dipping practices however, the committee recommends that the following action be taken:
- the potential hazards arising from the misuse of these products should be re-emphasised;
- clear advice should be made available from dip manufacturers and suppliers of clothing on the types of personal protective equipment which should be used when working with OP sheep dips;
- hazard symbols should be included on product labels, and hazard warnings and instructions to users should be standardised;
- users of sheep dips should be strongly encouraged to obtain a certificate of competence in the safe use of veterinary medicines, recently introduced by the National Proficiency Tests Council;
- HSE efforts to ensure that sheep dips are used safely should be endorsed;
- the continued reporting of suspected human adverse reactions to these products should be encouraged;
§ 7. The committee also recommends that:
- consideration should be given to the siting of new dipping facilities, and the associated plans for dip disposal, being subject to planning controls with the regulatory water organisations as statutory consultees;
- better statistics on the actual usage of individual sheep dip products should be requested from the veterinary pharmaceutical industry.