Non medicinal poisons

Specific requirements when selling poisons

Part 11 poisons can only be sold from premises named on our list.

Labelling

The container of the poison must be labelled with the following:

The name of the poison; and
In the case of a preparation which contains a poison as one of its ingredients, with particulars as to the proportion of the poison to the total ingredients; and
With the word 'poison' or other prescribed indication of the character of the article; and
With the name of the seller and the address of the premises on which it is sold

No liquid poison may be sold in a bottle with a capacity of less than 1.14 litres unless the outer surface of the bottle is fluted vertically with ribs or grooves recognisable by touch.

Specific exceptions

In the case of aldicarb

Any arsenical or mercurial substance (unless it contains no more than the small proportions of arsenic or mercury specified in Schedule 1 to the rules); and
In the case of barium carbonate (except in the case of articles prepared for the destruction of rats or mice) and barium silicofluoride, carbofuran, cycloheximide, dinitrocresols (except winter washes containing not more than 5% thereof) dinoseb, drazoxolon, endosulfan, endothal, endrin, compounds of fentin, methomyl, nicotine (except agricultural and horticultural insecticides consisting of nicotine dusts containing not more than 4% of nicotine) oxamyl, paraquat, the phosphorus compounds; and
In the case of zinc phosphide, (except in the case of articles prepared for the destruction of mice and rats)

The purchaser must either

(a) be known to the seller, or to the person in charge of the premises on which the substance is sold or of the department in which the sale is made, to be a person to whom the poison may properly be sold, or

(b) produce a valid certificate in the form prescribed in Schedule 10 to the Rules.

Poisons book entries

In the case of such poisons, the required particulars of the sale must be entered, before delivery, in the poisons book to be kept in the form prescribed in Schedule 11 to the Rules and (subject to the exception next mentioned) the entry must be signed by the purchaser.

In the case of a sale to a person for the purpose of his trade or business (farmer, horticulturist etc.), the signature of the entry in the poisons book may be dispensed with upon certain conditions, one of which is that an order signed by the purchaser has previously been obtained.

Poisons that can only be sold in particular types of preparation as specified in Part A of Schedule 4 to the Rules

This includes for example, calcium arsenates in agricultural, horticultural and forestal insecticides or fungicides.

The following list can only be sold in containers labelled clearly with a notice of the special purpose for which they are to be used and with a warning that they are to be used for that purpose only.

Aldicarb
Alpha-chloralose arsenical and mercurial substances
Barium carbonate
Carbofuran
Cycloheximide
Dinitrocresols
Dinoseb
Drazoxolon
Endosulfan
Endothal
Endrin
Compounds of fentin
Metallic oxalates other than potassium quadroxolate
Methomyl
Nitrobenzene
Oxamyl
Paraquat
The phosphorus compounds and zinc phosphide

Contact

Business Support Team

Environmental and Enforcement Services

Roycraft House

15 Linton Road

Barking

IG11 8HE

Supported by Barking and Dagenham Direct:

Tel: 020 8215 3007

Fax: 020 8227 5699

Textphone: 020 8227 5755

Email: 3000direct@lbbd.gov.uk|

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm.