Dip documents not up to it
Dip documents not up to it
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for a ban on organophosphate sheep dips claim two revised Health and Safety Executive booklets on sheep dipping and the safe use of veterinary medicines are still inadequate.
The HSE is revising its sheep dipping document, first produced in 1994, because of changes in available products and recommendations from the Veterinary Products Committee that sheep dippers needed more information to improve their competence.
Elizabeth Sigmund, chairman of the OP Information Network, said that while HSE should be congratulated on emphasising the hazards of using OP dips, the new booklet still failed to answer many questions.
It states that sheep dippers are at most risk from OPs through skin absorption, but Ms Sigmund said the HSE had failed to emphasise the inhalation dangers.
Questions over how long residues remained on the sheep after OP dipping and how long farmers should wear protective breathing apparatus when handling sheep or fleeces after dipping remained unanswered.
And she said the advice that contractors using OP dips should seek advice from doctors to monitor their health was unrealistic because too few doctors were competent on OP issues.
OPIN would like the HSE to submit the documents to an independent committee, which would include a sheep farmer, farm worker, and expert in occupational health, before they are published.
Allan Spence, HSE agriculture inspector, said the main aim of the revised sheep dipping leaflet was to ensure that all farmers knew what to do when using OP dips.
He hoped both documents, on which MAFF, the department of environment, transport and the regions, and industry, had all been consulted, would be published at the turn of the year.
• Doctors and OP campaigners were due to meet junior health minister Tessa Jowell as FW went to press (Wed), following on from their meeting with farm minister, Jack Cunningham, in July.