No Ban for OP Sheep Dips

The Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) advised the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) on 1 December that there is no scientific justification for banning organophosphate (OP) sheep dips, notwithstanding 529 cases of reported human ill-health associated with exposure over the last eight years. The VPC found that, in the majority of cases where information was available, protective clothing had not been worn properly or had not been used. Farmers wanting to buy dips in future will, as a consequence, have to hold a new certificate of competence. A new medical panel is to be set up—as a sub-committee to the VPC—to co-ordinate research on exposure to OP sheep dips. 
    In response, the National Farmers Union remains deeply concerned about those farmers who have suffered health problems which may have been linked to OP sheep dips. Sheep farmer, John Armitage, from the Taunton area, says “the VPC should take the matter more seriously”. He cites the recent Health and Safety Executive report (see PN 21, p. 21) which concludes that there is a great deal of under-reporting of ill-health, which is thus not investigated by officials. Mr Armitage also hopes that safer products will soon become available. At present, two products would have to be used to ensure the same control delivered by using OPs. “As yet, there doesn’t seem to be anything new on the horizon to replace OPs, which are difficult to use safely”, he notes with some resignation.
    Paul Tyler MP, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs spokesperson, wrote to the Parliamentary Ombudsman in September—knowing that a VPC decision was forthcoming—and requested that he schedule an investigation into how OP sheep dips have been dealt with by the regulatory authorities—MAFF, the Veterinary Products Committee, and the Department of Health.  A large number of people have sent Paul Tyler their experiences, and he will be submitting case histories of 128 victims of OP poisoning to the Ombudsman. "The Ministry must know how many people are affected by OP. The VPC decision has fallen far short of what we have been led to expect.  Victims are entitled to expect better service from the administrative machine” said Paul Tyler. He believes this may be treated as an interim decision. 
    A joint letter written in July by the Chief Executive of the Department of Health's Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and the Chief Medical Officer to doctors asked for cases of sheep dip exposure to be reported immediately to the VMD. This is a reminder of an earlier letter of April 1991 warning of the dangers (see PN 12, p. 19). The new letter draws the attention to sheep dip hazards, and encloses a new wall poster and a leaflet prepared by the VMD and the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), representing the veterinary pharmaceutical industry. While better reporting and farmer education is essential, there remain doubts whether posters and the newly-required certificate of competence will address the extent of the problem.
    The VPC's decision may have been constrained by the fact that no immediate alternatives are available. However it may benefit manufacturers more than end-users. An appropriate interim decision may have been to restrict OPs to use strictly by licensed operators, or set a phase out date.  This would speed up the search for alternatives. (PB)

Other sheep dip news

UK faces EC legal action

There have been two recent complaints to the European Commission about sheep dips. One concerns an allegation of contamination of a groundwater source with sheep dip, breaching the Groundwater Directive, and a second alleges that dip chemical found in water breaches the Drinking Water Directive.

ENDS Report 233, August 1993.

NRA changes tack

The National Rivers Authority (NRA), after previously tolerating soakaways for spent sheep dip, concerned that this could be in contravention of the EC Groundwater Directive, calls for a ban on soakaways. The NRA now considers such disposal “is tantamount to pouring sheep dip directly into water.”

Farmers Weekly 13 August 1993.

Poster

The VMD and NOAH poster referred to in the article above is available from the VMD, Woodham Lane,  New Haw,   Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, Tel. 0932 336911.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 22, December 1993, page 21]