Active ingredient

the part of a pesticide product which gives it its pesticidal properties (the term ‘active substance’ is often used to mean the same thing).

Active substance

any substance or micro-organism (including a virus), that has a general or specific action against harmful organisms or on plants, parts of plants or plant products (the term ‘active ingredient’ is often used to mean the same thing).

Adjuvant

a substance (other than water) without significant pesticidal properties, which, when added to a pesticide before application, improves or is intended to improve the effectiveness of the pesticide.

Aerial application

applying a pesticide from an aircraft in flight.

Agricultural vehicle

any agricultural or forestry tractor or agricultural machinery.

Agricultural or forestry tractor

any motor vehicle and its trailer which is constructed or adapted for use off-road for the purpose of agriculture and which is primarily used for that purpose (not a dual purpose vehicle).

Agricultural machinery

any mobile machinery which is constructed or adapted for use off-road for the purpose of agriculture and which is primarily used for that purpose.

Approval

all pesticide products must be approved before they can be advertised, stored, sold, supplied or used. An approval (normally applied for by a company wanting to market a pesticide) will only be given when all the required evidence and information on the safety, effectiveness, and (where relevant) the humaneness of the pesticide have been submitted, evaluated and considered acceptable. You can find full details of the approvals process on the PSD website (www.pesticides.gov.uk ).

Beneficial occupier

Biodiversity

the person who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the land.

The variety of life around us — life of all kinds from the largest animal to the smallest plant

Biological monitoring

the measurement and assessment of levels of chemicals or their metabolites (substances the body converts the chemical into) in the breath, urine or blood (or any combination of these) of exposed workers. This monitoring may investigate either the level of systemic exposure to an active substance or look for chemical signs of a reaction to exposure.

Bystander

any person who is present in (or near) the area where a pesticide is being (or has been) applied who is not directly involved in using the pesticide.

Commercial service

the use of a pesticide by a person:

• on crops, land, produce, materials, buildings or the contents of buildings not in the beneficial ownership or occupation of that person or that persons’ employer; or
• on seed other than seed intended solely for use by that person or that persons’ employer.

Consent

the detailed rules under Part III of FEPA are set out in what are known as ‘consents’ to be found in the schedules to COP(A)R and BCR (see Annex A). these consents are issued by Ministers and permit pesticides to be advertised, sold, stored, supplied and used, subject to certain conditions. These conditions set out general obligations for all pesticide users. (The term ‘consent’ is also used to describe the regulatory regime in place under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. It is the main legislative vehicle for point source pollution control and provides a system whereby discharges of pollutants are subject to consent by SEPA.)

Dosimetry or exposure monitoring

the use of personal sampling equipment (and sometimes static samplers) to measure the levels of exposure to a substance (through skin contact or breathing it in) for operators when carrying out their normal work tasks. If the substance being used has been assigned a MEL or OES, the periodic or continuous sampling of the workplace atmosphere (usually in the operator’s breathing zone) will establish whether the necessary standards are being achieved.

Drift

the movement of a pesticide (which may be applied as a spray, a fine granule or in another form) outside the target area due to air currents.

Fumigation

an operation in which the pesticide acts as a gas (although it may not be applied in the form of a gas) to control or kill pests or other undesirable organisms.

Groundwater

all water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil.

Integrated control

defined in PPPR as ‘the rational application of a combination of biological, biotechnological, chemical, cultural or plant-breeding measures whereby the use of chemical plant protection products is limited to the minimum strictly necessary to maintain harmful organisms below levels above which economically unacceptable damage or loss would occur’.

Maximum exposure limit (MEL)

the maximum concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a reference period, which people at work can be exposed to, under any circumstances. The MEL (for each substance which has been assigned one) is given, together with the appropriate reference periods, in Schedule 1 of the COSHH Regulations.

Occupational exposure standard (OES)

the concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a reference period, at which, according to current knowledge, there is no evidence that it is likely to harm a person at work repeatedly breathing that concentration.

Operator

any person directly involved in using a pesticide (for example, handling, mixing, loading or applying a pesticide, calibrating or cleaning equipment, or handling freshly treated material).

Pesticide

any substance, preparation or organism that is prepared or used for destroying any pest.

Pest

any organism that is harmful to plants, wood or other plant products, any unwanted plant, or any harmful creature.

Plant protection product

an active substance or preparation that contains one or more active substances (in the form in which it is supplied to the user) which is intended to:
(a) protect plants or plant products against all harmful organisms or prevent the action of those organisms;
(b) influence the life processes of plants other than as a nutrient (for example, as a growth regulator);
(c) preserve plant products (except for substances or products which are controlled under European Union law on preservatives);
(d) destroy unwanted plants; or
(e) destroy parts of plants or control or prevent the undesired growth of plants.

Pesticide approved for agricultural use

a pesticide (other than one with methyl bromide or chloropicrin as one of its active ingredients) approved for use:

• in agriculture and horticulture (including amenity horticulture);
• in forestry;
• in or near water (other than amateur, public hygiene or anti-fouling uses); or
• as an industrial herbicide (such as weedkillers for use on land that is not intended for the production of any crop).

Reduced volume spraying

application of a pesticide in a lower volume of water than the minimum volume recommended on the label for that dose.

Special Waste

special waste is any waste which is defined as hazardous by the Hazardous Waste Directive (91/689/EEC)

Spray quality

a classification reflecting the particle size distribution in a spray.

Substance hazardous to health

any substance (including any preparation) which is:
(a) a substance listed in Part I of the Approved Supply List as dangerous for supply within the meaning of the Chemical (Hazard Information and Packaging) Regulations 1993, and which is classified as very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant;
(b) a substance for which a maximum exposure limit is specified in Schedule 1 of the COSHH Regulations or for which the Health and Safety Commission has approved an occupational exposure standard;
(c) a biological agent;
(d) a dust of any kind when present at a substantial concentration in the air;
(e) a substance not mentioned in (a) to (d) above, but which creates a similar hazard to the health of any person.
A substance should be regarded as hazardous to health if it is hazardous in the form in which it is used in the work activity.

Tank mix

a spray solution, prepared by the user, containing a mixture of two or more pesticide products.

Tremcard

a transport emergency card containing essential information for the driver and the emergency services, which must be prominently displayed in the cab of a vehicle carrying dangerous goods on the road.

User

anyone (employers, employees and self-employed people) carrying out the application of pesticides or an activity directly related to that work (such as mixing a pesticide or loading a sprayer for another user).

Water

surface water and groundwater.

Water volume (application volume)

the volume of a spray liquid (including all pesticides, diluents, adjuvants, carriers and other components of the spray solution) applied per unit area (normally expressed as litres per hectare).

Worker (re-entry worker)

a person entering a treated crop or area, or handling treated material after a pesticide application has taken place (people handling freshly treated material as part of an application operation are normally considered to be operators rather than workers).