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Service standards

When you contact HSE about biocides[69], your enquiry will most likely be responded to by the part of HSE that specialises in regulating biocides and other chemicals - the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD). When responding to enquiries, CRD aims to achieve the general service standards set out below.

Courtesy and helpfulness

We will be courteous, helpful and accurate in our dealings with you at all times. We will avoid the use of technical jargon wherever possible. We will provide clear and straightforward information and advice that is appropriate to our role and responsibilities, and explain our understanding of the legal requirements that support our positions and actions.

Accessibility

We will do everything we can to make ourselves available to everyone needing our services, including those with impairment or disability. Please let us know how we can help.

Prompt response

We will aim to answer all correspondence within a deadline of 21 working days of receipt. If we cannot provide a complete reply within that time for any reason we will contact you to let you know why and when you may expect a full response.

Meetings

Where we agree with you that the best approach is to meet, we will swiftly arrange a suitable date with you. We will keep the appointment to the time agreed. If, exceptionally, the intended person(s) is then unable to attend, we will provide an appropriate substitute(s) or, if you wish, arrange a new appointment at a time to suit all parties.

Confidentiality and public access to information

Within the limits of the relevant law, we will respect confidentiality wherever appropriate.

Find out how we handle your information under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in HSE's privacy policy statement[70].

Find out about your right to request information held by HSE, including CRD, under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) and Data Protection Act (DPA) and how to make an information requests on HSE's FOI webpage[71].

Complaints procedure

If you feel that the service you have received from us has fallen below the standards you would expect, please let us know, and we will take action to put things right.

You should initially contact the person in CRD you have been dealing with. If they cannot deal with the matter to your satisfaction, they will then treat your enquiry as a complaint and pass it to a more senior officer.

Your complaint will be thoroughly investigated and you will be sent a written response within 10 working days of it being received. If, however, we are unable to send out a final response within that timescale we will contact you to let you know why and when you may expect to know the outcome.

Most complaints are settled in this way. However if, following our investigation, you still feel that your complaint has not been resolved you can take the matter up under HSE's complaints procedure[72].

Link URLs in this page

  1. Biocideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/index.htm
  2. Biocides: Introductionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/introduction.htm
  3. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulated/index.htm
  4. Biocides: active substance statushttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/checking/index.htm
  5. Importing and exportinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/importing.htm
  6. Certificates of Free Sale and Export Statementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/certificates-of-freesale.htm
  7. Treated articleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/treated-articles.htm
  8. Monitoring trapshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/monitoring-traps.htm
  9. Article 3(3) decisions on scopehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/decisions-on-scope.htm
  10. In situ generationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/in-situ-generation.htm
  11. Get product on UK markethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/market.htm
  12. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/using.htm
  13. Honey beeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/honey-bees.htm
  14. Rodenticideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/rodenticides.htm
  15. Reporting exposurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/reporting.htm
  16. Biocides enforcementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement.htm
  17. Authorities and activitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement-authorities.htm
  18. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/active-substance-approval.htm
  19. UK Review Programmehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/review-regulation.htm
  20. Active substances: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/how-to-apply.htm
  21. Simplified active substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-actives.htm
  22. The GB List of Active Substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-list-active-substances.htm
  23. GB Article 95: The basicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-basics.htm
  24. GB Article 95: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-how-to-apply.htm
  25. The GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-list.htm
  26. Planned removal of entries from GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/article-95-removal.htm
  27. Entries due for removal from the GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-removal-list.htm
  28. Technical equivalence of an active substancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/technical-equivalence.htm
  29. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/product-authorisation-overview.htm
  30. National authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/national-authorisation.htm
  31. Simplified authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-product-authorisation.htm
  32. Same biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/same-biocidal-product.htm
  33. Change or cancel a biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/change/index.htm
  34. Renew an existing product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/renew.htm
  35. Research and developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/research.htm
  36. Essential use authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/essential-use-authorisation.htm
  37. Critical situation permitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/critical-situation-permits.htm
  38. Food and feed derogationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/derogation.htm
  39. Unfettered access notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  40. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-authorised-biocidal-products.htm
  41. Advertisement requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  42. Packaging and labelling requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/packaging-labelling-requirements.htm
  43. Record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  44. Informing NPIShttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm
  45. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-protection.htm
  46. Access to documents: Biocidal active substances and productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/access-to-documents.htm
  47. Data sharing in GBhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-sharing.htm
  48. Vertebrate testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/vertebrate-testing.htm
  49. GB BPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/fees.htm
  50. Biocides regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulations.htm
  51. Northern Irelandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/northern-ireland.htm
  52. Existing products: Transfer to GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  53. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  54. COPR approval: how to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  55. COPR product approval typeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approvals.htm
  56. COPR approved productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approved.htm
  57. COPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/fees.htm
  58. COPR labellinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/labelguidance.htm
  59. Conditions of approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/conditions.htm
  60. Open invitations and notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/open-invitations-notifications.htm
  61. Consultations and surveyshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations.htm
  62. Consultations: Submitting informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations-submitting.htm
  63. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/information.htm
  64. Glossaryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/glossary.htm
  65. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/links.htm
  66. Contacthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  67. Service standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/servicestandards.htm
  68. Temporary changes to GB biocides application processing timeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/temporary-changes-application-processing-time.htm
  69. contact HSE about biocideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  70. HSE's privacy policy statementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/privacy.htm
  71. HSE's FOI webpagehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/index.htm
  72. HSE's complaints procedurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/complain-about-hse.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

COPR
Control of Pesticides Regulations

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Updated 2025-02-06