Health statistics

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released results of pesticide incidents investigated between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 1997. The HSE investigated 204 incidents, 81 of which involved alleged ill health.
    Magistrates are increasing fines due to pesticide misuse, prosecutions for negligent pesticide use rose from £533 for 1995/96 to £583 for 1996/97, the report says.
    During the 1990s, complaints about insecticides have increased in relation to all other pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, and vertebrate control products).
    Between 1991/92 and 1995/96 there has been a rise in the complaints involving synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.

Pesticide Incidents Report 1996/97, HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS, pp27.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 38, December 1997, page 19]