Other laws and regulations in GB

Until a biocidal active substance is approved under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR) some biocidal products in Great Britain (GB) require approval by HSE under the Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR). Other biocidal products may need to comply with other law or schemes that apply in GB.

Similarly, until a biocidal active substance is approved under the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR) some biocidal products in Northern Ireland (NI) require approval by HSE under the Control of Pesticides Regulations (COPR). Other biocidal products may need to comply with other law or schemes that apply in Northern Ireland[67]

HSE approval needed

Products to control:

  • rats and mice
  • insects and arthropods, which are either a public health concern (such as cockroaches) or a nuisance (such as ants)
  • algae and blanket weed in ponds and lakes, including home garden / ornamental ponds / lakes (not to protect plants)
  • nuisance / pest birds such as feral pigeons and starlings
  • slugs and snails (not to protect plants)

Products to prevent / remove:

  • the growth of algae, seaweed, mussels and barnacles on the hulls of boats, ships, oilrigs, fishnets, fish farming equipment and other manmade structures
  • undesirable growth such as lichen, mould or mildew on external and internal surfaces
  • the growth of fungi, mould and algae on internal surfaces such as ceilings and walls

Products to protect wood from:

  • natural predators such as beetles
  • wet and dry rot
  • surface staining or fungi

Products to repel:

  • insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, wasps, midges, fleas and spiders - including products applied directly to animals
  • vertebrates such as cats and dogs from fouling in and around domestic gardens

These products usually require COPR approval[68] from HSE before they can be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used in GB. These types of product will continue to be regulated and approved through HSE under COPR until a decision is made on whether to approve the active substance under GB BPR. If the active substance is approved the product will then require authorisation under GB BPR[69].

HSE approval not needed

Products that disinfect:

  • human or animal skin
  • surfaces (walls, floors, equipment, furniture) in private, public and industrial areas and in other areas for professional activities
  • air (including air conditioning systems)
  • water (including drinking water, bathing water, swimming pools, waste water, aquariums )
  • impregnated materials that may come into contact with food.

Products that preserve:

  • goods in storage to ensure their shelf life
  • rodenticides, insecticides or other baits
  • films or coatings of paints, plastics, sealants, wall adhesives, binders, papers, art works
  • fibrous or polymerised materials such as leather, rubber or paper
  • water and other liquids used in cooling and processing systems

fluids used for working or cutting metal, glass or other materials

Products that control / prevent:

algae in swimming pools

Products that preserve / control:

slime growth on materials, equipment and structures used in industrial processes, such as on wood and paper pulp, and porous sand strata in oil extraction

Products that attract:

  • insects and arthropods (flies, moths, ants) to physical traps
  • birds to physical traps
  • rats and mice to physical traps

do not require COPR approval from HSE before they can be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used in GB.

Note: These products will require HSE authorisation under GB BPR[70] once the biocidal active substance is approved under GB BPR.

Other schemes in GB

If your product is a disinfectant it may need to comply with one or more of the following schemes that apply in Great Britain:

  • aquaculture[71] - disinfectants that have been independently validated as effective against viral and bacterial diseases affecting freshwater fish
  • drinking water[72] - disinfectants used in drinking water from the source of the water, up to the point of delivery to the consumer's building
  • veterinary[73] - disinfectants used against certain named pathogens such as foot-and-mouth disease, swine vesicular disease, tuberculosis etc

These are schemes HSE is aware of and this list is not exhaustive. HSE does not operate these schemes and cannot offer any advice on their requirements.

Note: These products will require HSE authorisation under GB BPR[74] once the biocidal active substance is approved under GB BPR. These products may also need to continue to comply with the requirements of the relevant scheme after the product has a GB BPR authorisation.

General rules to comply with

Biocidal products may be covered by general chemical and product safety law which continues to operate in Great Britain such as:

Specific elements of GB BPR also apply to all biocidal products before (and after) the product is authorised under GB BPR, namely:

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. Technical equivalence of an active substancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/technical-equivalence.htm
  27. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/product-authorisation-overview.htm
  28. National authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/national-authorisation.htm
  29. Simplified authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-product-authorisation.htm
  30. Same biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/same-biocidal-product.htm
  31. Change or cancel a biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/change/index.htm
  32. Renew an existing product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/renew.htm
  33. Research and developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/research.htm
  34. Essential use authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/essential-use-authorisation.htm
  35. Critical situation permitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/critical-situation-permits.htm
  36. Food and feed derogationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/derogation.htm
  37. Unfettered access notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  38. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-authorised-biocidal-products.htm
  39. Advertisement requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  40. Packaging and labelling requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/packaging-labelling-requirements.htm
  41. Record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  42. Informing NPIShttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm
  43. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-protection.htm
  44. Access to documents: Biocidal active substances and productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/access-to-documents.htm
  45. Data sharing in GBhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-sharing.htm
  46. Vertebrate testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/vertebrate-testing.htm
  47. GB BPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/fees.htm
  48. Biocides regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulations.htm
  49. Northern Irelandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/northern-ireland.htm
  50. Existing products: Transfer to GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  51. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  52. COPR approval: how to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  53. COPR product approval typeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approvals.htm
  54. COPR approved productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approved.htm
  55. COPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/fees.htm
  56. COPR labellinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/labelguidance.htm
  57. Conditions of approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/conditions.htm
  58. Open invitations and notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/open-invitations-notifications.htm
  59. Consultations and surveyshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations.htm
  60. Consultations: Submitting informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations-submitting.htm
  61. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/information.htm
  62. Glossaryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/glossary.htm
  63. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/links.htm
  64. Contacthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  65. Service standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/servicestandards.htm
  66. Temporary changes to GB biocides application processing timeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/temporary-changes-application-processing-time.htm
  67. law or schemes that apply in Northern Irelandhttps://www.hseni.gov.uk/topic/chemicals
  68. COPR approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  69. authorisation under GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  70. authorisation under GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  71. aquaculturehttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/aquaculture-disinfectant-listing-scheme-apply-or-view
  72. drinking waterhttp://www.dwi.gov.uk/
  73. veterinaryhttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-your-disinfectant-approved-by-defra
  74. authorisation under GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  75. GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (GB CLP) Regulationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/chemical-classification/index.htm
  76. General Product Safety (GPS) Regulationshttps://www.gov.uk/product-safety-for-manufacturers#general-product-safety-regulations
  77. advertisinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  78. record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  79. GB Article 95 listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-list.htm
  80. National Poisons Information Servicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

COPR
Control of Pesticides Regulations

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Updated 2025-03-12