HL Deb 06 December 1995 vol 567 cc80-2WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

By what means regular users of organophosphate pesticides and veterinary and human medicines have been, and are, advised of the need for regular biological monitoring.

Lord Lucas

People who use organophosphate pesticides and veterinary medicines regularly as part of their paid employment are subject to Regulation 11 of The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 (COSHH). This places a duty on employers to ensure that their employees are under suitable health surveillance when using certain substances. This may include biological monitoring. Although this requirement does not apply to self-employed people, the Government advise them to adopt the same standard.

The Government promote compliance with COSHH by:

giving advice to employers, employees and the self-employed during visits by the Health and Safety Executive's staff and inspectors, and by the Employment Medical Advisory Service's practitioners.

and

producing guidance, including:

the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Approved Codes of Practice on the general requirements of COSHH and on The Safe Use of Pesticides For Non.-Agricultural Purposes;

the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) booklet Surveillance of People Exposed To Health Risks At Work (HS(G)61) and Guidance Note MS 17 Biological Monitoring of Workers Exposed To Organo-Phosphorus Pesticides;

the joint Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and HSC publications Code of Practice For The Safe Use Of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings and Sheep Dipping (AS29 revised March 1995); and

the joint Veterinary Medicines Directorate's and National Office of Animal Health's leaflet, Safe Use of Organo-Phosphorus Sheep Dips;

and

giving advice to members of the public on request.

Human medicines containing the organophosphate malathion are indicated for the treatment of scabies and louse infections. They are for short-term, intermittent use only. Regular biological monitoring is not therefore appropriate.

The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they regard farmers who regularly spray crops and buildings with organophosphate pesticides as well as dip their sheep once or twice a year as candidates for biological monitoring.

Lord Lucas

Whether or not biological monitoring is appropriate will depend on the frequency, duration and level of exposure rather than "regularity" in itself.

The Government's advice is detailed in both the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Approved Code of Practice The safe use of pesticides for non-agricultural purposes, and the joint HSC and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Code of Practice The safe use of pesticides on Farms and Holdings. Both documents include the following advice:

"For organophosphorus pesticides health surveillance should include biological monitoring where there is a reasonable likelihood that an adverse health effect may occur under the particular circumstances of work…[including]…where there was daily use of these substances over an extended period, for example by full-time pest control operators, pilots or ground crew exposed to pesticides containing these substances or those working with such pesticides in confined spaces."

Similar advice is given in the Health and Safety Executive's Guidance Note MS17 Biological Monitoring of Workers exposed to organophosphorus pesticides.

The decision on whether a particular individual will require health surveillance and what that surveillance would comprise, will depend on the results of the assessment employers carry out under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 (COSHH).