scope:

General

This standard sets out the requirements for the safe, responsible, and effective management of agrichemicals in the workplace by suppliers and users in New Zealand. It incorporates the significant changes to the regulatory framework for hazardous substances from 1 December 2017. With regard to occupational use of hazardous substances in the workplace, responsibility for the health and safety of people moved to WorkSafe under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), and responsibility for the environment stayed with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act).

The risk management approach used in this standard is described in section 2 and then elaborated on for each of the major activities of transport, storage, use, and disposal in sections 3 to 6. Planning for and dealing with emergencies with respect to agrichemicals is covered in section 7.

The term 'agrichemicals' applies to a number of categories of product used in an agricultural context. Reference is made to specific product categories where specific provisions apply.