This Act regulates the import/export manufacture distribution and use of products which are used for the control of pests and of the organic function of plants and animals. These are products used to control pest (pesticides) this is an Act that regulates the import/export and use of pesticides. The Act establishes the Pest Control Products Board and makes it the function of the Board to register pest control products. It requires that every person who desires to register a pest control product shall make an application to the Board. The Board may refuse to register the product if its use would lead to unacceptable risk or harm to
1. Things on or in relation to which
the pest control product is intended to be used; or
2. To public health, plants, animals
or the environment.
CLASSIFICATION
The Act establishes 3 classes of pest control products
1. A restricted class – a
class of products which present significant environmental risks and these are
products which are intended for use in aquatic and forestry situations; a good
example was the Cyprus Trees being destroyed by aphid, spraying all the Cyprus
trees would pose a problem to the environment since it was so widespread.
2. Commercial Class – class
with environmental effects which are limited to a specific region.
3. Domestic Class – this is a
class of products for which
(i) No special precautions are
required in use
(ii) No equipment are required for
inhalation hazard
(iii) No irreversible effects from
repeated exposure.
(iv) Disposal of Containers can be
safely done by placing it in the garbage bin; and
(v) The package sizes are limited to
amounts that can be safely used and stored by consumers.
The best examples are insecticides i.e. doom.
PACKAGING
The law requires that the package shall be sufficiently
durable and be designed and manufactured to contain the product safely under
practical conditions of storage, display and distribution.
LABELLING
The act of labelling requires that every pest control
product which is sold or made available must have a label and the label must
show the following 14 things.
1. Name of the product;
2. Information on the nature and
degree of hazard inherent in it;
3. Statement directing the user to
read the label;
4. The common name of the active
ingredients;
5. Contents of the active
ingredient; active ingredient has both a common and scientific name so
that the buyer may know;
6. Registration number of the
product;
7. Net content;
8. Name and postal address of the
registrant;
9. Directions for use of the product;
10. Information on the hazardous of
handling storage display, distribution and disposal of the product including
instructions on procedures to alleviate the hazard, the contamination and
disposal of the product and the empty package;
11. Information identifying any
significant hazard to things on or in relation to which the product is intended
to be used or to public health, plants, animals or the environment;
12. First aid instructions;
13. The toxicological information
essential to the treatment of a person who is poisoned for example antidotes,
symptoms of poisoning and the ingredient that may affect the treatment;
14. A notice that it is an offence to
use or store the product under unsafe conditions.
15. Package should bear a cautionary
symbol, the cautionary symbols are also standard there is a symbol for poison
or danger, there is a symbol for corrosivity which is a test tube with a hand
sticking inside and crossed out, symbol for in-flammability which is fire, a
symbol for explosivity.
The Act also requires that the premises for manufacturing
formulating, packaging selling or storing the product must be licensed.
The premises shall be of suitable design layout and construction to ensure the
health of workers and to avoid contamination of the environment. The person who
owns, operates or is in charge of the premises shall have adequate knowledge of
the chemistry, toxicology, efficacy and general use of the product being dealt
with and of the handling precautions of the products within the premises.