HL Deb 16 February 2000 vol 609 cc156-7WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any studies were conducted by the Health and Safety Directorate into the effects of bacteriological contamination and of combination with disinfectants in organophospate sheep dips between 1989 and 1993; and, if so, what were the results of these studies. [HL967]

Baroness Hayman

The Health and Safety Executive sponsored a study by the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) in 1993 which considered levels of endotoxins in dipping baths before and after dipping and airborne concentrations of endtoxin to which workers dipping sheep were exposed This was a pilot study to identify whether further research was needed. The results indicated that there was potential for worker exposure to endotoxin during sheep dipping but the airborne concentrations were lower than those reported in other industries such as wool processing. The report has been publised by the IOM.