## General Version Industry Environmental Management Tool Kit

Management Toolkit for Operators Holding a Permit to Discharge Waste Pesticide Washings to Land 
 
Document owner: National Services/ Knowledge, Strategy & Planning (KSP) Version history: 
 

| Summary of Changes    | Document     |
|-----------------------|--------------|
| Version               |              |
| Date                  |              |
| Published             |              |
| 1.0                   |              |
| 2.0                   | October 2014 |

 Published by: 
Natural Resources Wales Cambria House 
29 Newport Road Cardiff CF24 0TP 0300 065 3000 (Mon-Fri, 8am - 6pm) 
enquiries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk © Natural Resources Wales All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of Natural Resources Wales 

# Management Toolkit For Operators Holding A Permit To Discharge

## Waste Pesticide Washings To Land

This is an example Environmental Management System.  You don't have to use this example but it is designed to help you meet the requirements of permit condition 1 relating to management.  It will need to be modified to suit your site as some parts won't be relevant to your operation and you may need to make some additions. A copy of this document should be held along with a copy of your permit at a place where it is easily accessible to site operatives, ideally this will be on site.  
  
Pesticides can harm water life, and affect drinking water sources and contaminate land.  Good storage and handling procedures will minimise risks of causing water pollution.  Very small amounts of pesticide can cause serious pollution problems, even just the amount of residue on a foil seal from a concentrate container. 

 

## Contents

1. **Maintenance and operations checklist**   
2. **Maintenance record** 3. **Recording form for discharges of pesticide washings** 4. **List of substances and storage facilities** 5. **Training checklist and training record** 6. Complaints **form** for recording complaints about your site from members of 
the public.  
7. **Accident and incident recording form** 8. **Accident management plan**  
A. Site plan B. Preventing accidents and incidents C. Key site and emergency contacts  
 

## 1.  Maintenance/Operations Checklist (Pesticide Washings Discharges To Ground)

(tick the appropriate box)  Where are the 
Item  
Check local weather forecast prior to spraying and take into account the direction and 
strength of the wind when deciding if safe to 
spray.  
Ensure sprayer is maintained properly to prevent leaks and drips and to ensure it 
sprays evenly.  
Ideally have trailed, mounted or self propelled sprayers tested annually under the National 
Sprayer Testing Scheme.  
Ensure all maps are kept up to date with details of surface waters, springs, wells, boreholes and other vulnerable groundwater so pesticide activities are kept away from 
these sensitive areas.  
Ensure records of discharge of waste pesticide washings are kept to ensure 
compliance with your permit.  
Ensure pesticides are applied in a manner so 
as only the intended targets are affected  
Ensure appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is available for workers 
involved in the spraying and disposal processes. The required PPE should be stated on the instruction leaflet that comes with the pesticide. For example non-lined 
synthetic rubber gloves, face mask and so on.  
Ensure the area use for handling and mixing pesticides is free of any cracks or holes that could allow pesticide to escape to ground or 
into a watercourse.  
If spreading conditions are unsuitable or if any other factors are present which may prevent the prompt disposal of your pesticide 
washings they must be stored carefully in impermeable containers designed to hold such toxic materials. These containers must then be stored so that any spillage cannot 
enter drains or run over adjoining land, and be bunded to contain any unforeseen 
spillage.  
How often  
maintenance/ 
operating 
instructions?  

Ensure that any used pesticide containers are triple rinsed before disposal at a suitably permitted facility. 

Add appropriate items for your site 
  
Advice on applying pesticides is published in the Code of Practice for using plant protection products.  This can be downloaded from the government website. 

  
A code of good agricultural practice for farmers, growers and land managers 
(COGAP) also provides advice on pesticide use. See Defra website.  
  
COGAP is also available in hard copy, free of change, from The Stationery Office,  PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN (ISBN 9780112432845).  
  
For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive's website for their document titled Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users.   
 

## 2. Maintenance Record

You need to keep a record of the checks you have completed, that are set out in your checklist along with any additional checks you have made.  This could be recorded in a diary or alternatively you could adapt the form below to create a record sheet   
  
You should record the following information:  

- 
The check or maintenance job done; 
 -  Who completed it  
- 
The result*.*    
Alternatively you could use this form.  Please copy it prior to completion to ensure a future supply.  
  

Item: inspect sample point  
Due: weekly  
Completed 
on  
Completed by  
The result  
e.g. 27-08-09   *Mr A N Other*  
For example, concrete base of the pesticide handling and mixing area is cracked. Fix the cracks before using the area again. 

## 3. Recording Form For Discharge Of Pesticide Washings. Site Name:

  
Permit number:  
  

Disposal Date  
Required Records  
Discharge Date  
Discharge Date  
Disposal Date 
Licensed brand name or chemical composition of pesticide 
Volume of working strength pesticide to be treated  
  
  
  
  
  
Spreading equipment used 
What are you using to dilute the pesticide? (For example, slurry or water)  
  
  
  
  
Volume of water or slurry 
added to the pesticide 
Application rate of treated pesticide to land. In m³/ha (gallons/acre) 
  
  
  
Location of disposal area, either indicate field numbers or national grid reference.  

  
  
  
Area of discharge. 

## 4- List Of Substances And Storage Facilities

The following is a list of chemicals that are stored on site that could be harmful to the environment if they escape.  
  

Material  
Maximum  
Type and size of 
Type and size of  
Quantity  
storage  
Secondary  
Containment  
Pesticide (brand name)  
10 litres  
Bund integral to chemical store  
Farm Chemical Store constructed in accordance with HSE Agriculture Information Sheet A/S16 

For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive's website for their document titled Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users. 

  

## 5. Training Checklist Make Sure Everyone Involved In The Use Of Pesticides Has Been Trained In Personal Health And Safety And Environmental Impacts.

  
  Appropriate certificate of competence in the use of agricultural pesticides  if required* Adequate and appropriate training on using pesticides safely Content of the permit and other relevant regulations, codes of practice and guidance. Check weather forecasts for wind direction and speed Awareness of vulnerable areas map Awareness of buffer zones. Correct operation and maintenance of equipment used for spraying Storage, handling and mixing areas maintenance. Fire procedure Spill response procedure Training in the use of agricultural pesticides is provided by the National Proficiency Tests Council who are contactable on 0247 6857300 or on their website.   
Operators holding a permit to discharge waste pesticide washings to land  

## 5.1 Training Record Use This Form To Record Any Training You, Or (If Relevant) Your Staff, Receive Relating To The Use Of Pesticides.

Date due  
Date 
done  
Passed as 
competent 
? 
yes/no  

Operators holding a permit to discharge waste pesticide washings to land  

Reviewers 
Signature  
Refresher   

 
  
*The training and certification section of the Code of Practice for using plant protection products specifies when it's necessary to obtain a certificate of competence.  
Code of practice for using plant protection products, January 2006 is available from the HSE website.  
  
Operators holding a permit to discharge waste pesticide washings to land  

## 6. Complaints Record

  
Who made the complaint? Name:  
Date and time they made the complaint  
What happened, what was it about? Was anyone else aware of this - other neighbours or your staff?  If so who? Assuming the complaint relates to your site, what was the problem, what went wrong? If you can't find the source of the problem you should contact a suitably qualified person to do so and record who this was, and what the problem was. 

What have you done to make sure that it does not happen again? Was there any significant pollution - for example: odour or spillage of pesticide onto the ground into a drain or a watercourse? 

Yes/No/not applicable At what time did you phone?  

If there was then you must notify the  
Natural Resources Wales on 0300 
065 3000 ASAP.  Have you done so?  

EA incident number?  

  
Yes/No/not applicable  
You must also write or send an email to confirm this to the local office (see your accident management plan for the address) Have you done so?  
Please print your name and sign: Continue on a separate sheet if you do not have enough room. Keep the completed form in the file to discuss with Natural Resources Wales when they visit.  
 
7. Accident and Incident Recording Form   

Record of accidents, other incidents or near misses  
This form is to be used for reporting on things that could impact on the environment, for example: spillage of polluting pesticide into a surface water drain leading to a watercourse. "Other incidents" covers impacts on the environment that are not accidents, but poor practice.  
It is also good practice to record near misses - for example there was a leak in one of the pesticide containers but it was stored in an approved steel cabinet so all the pesticide was captured.   
  
Date and time of the incident   
  
What happened, what was it about? Was anyone else aware of this - other witnesses?  If so who? What caused it? What have you done to make sure that it does not happen again? 

Was there any significant pollution - for example: spillage of polluting liquids onto the ground, into a drain or a watercourse?  If so what? 

  

Yes/No/not applicable At what time did you phone?  

If there was then you must notify Natural Resources Wales on 0300 
065 3000 ASAP.  Have you done so?  
EA incident number? 

Have you done so? Yes/No/not applicable You must also write or send an email to confirm this to the local office (see your accident management plan for the address) Please print your name and sign Continue on a separate sheet if you do not have enough room. Keep the completed form in the file to discuss with Natural Resources Wales when they visit. 8. Accident management plan  

## Created By:_________________________________________Date:___________________ _ Accident Management Plan Contents

 A 
- Site plan   
B 
- Key site and emergency contacts  
C 
- Preventing accidents… and what to do if they happen.  

## A - Site Plan Insert Site Plan Showing Location Of The Following Items:

  
 **Site entrances and exits** available to the emergency services and maintenance 
contractors  
 **Buildings**; the buildings and other main constructions, including pesticide store  
 **Drainage**; including  o foul drainage (marked in red),  o surface water drainage 
(marked in blue).   

## Showing

 **Accident and emergency response items**; such as fire extinguishers, spill kits, 
sand bags, alarms, first aid kit and so on.  
 **Vulnerable receptors;** on site or adjacent receptors that could be affected by the 
site operations, such as watercourses, springs, boreholes, ecologically sensitive sites, residential properties and so on.  

## B - Preventing Accidents And Incidents And What To Do If They Happen.

The following table contains some of the potential environmental risks relating to a facility with a permit to dispose of waste pesticide washings to ground.  It is not exhaustive so you should also consider if there is anything particular to your site that could cause a problem. Read the table thoroughly.  Some points may not apply to your activity and please add any site specific issues to the list.  The table also describes what you ought to be doing to reduce the risk of an accident and what should be done if one actually occurs.  
  
Please ensure that you are committed to the table's contents as it forms part of your EMS 
which is a condition of your permit and therefore must be complied with.  
  
You will need to develop a spill response procedure to ensure that any spillages are dealt with correctly.  This should be attached to this document.  Please ensure spill kits and any other equipment referred to are readily available and you / your staff know how to use them.  
  
Finally make sure that any contractors or farm workers know about the plan, where to find it, and what it contains.  It is important that they know how to prevent accidents and what to do should one occur.  Remember, if an accident does happen, follow the plan in this table.  
  
You may need to review this accident management plan following an incident, accident, or if Natural Resources Wales asks you to do so.  
  

| What to do if it           |
|----------------------------|
|                            |
| What would the             |
| How do we reduce the       |
| harm be?                   |
|                            |
| happens                    |
|                            |
| chances of it              |
| happening?                 |
|                            |
| Spillages                  |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
| Spillage during transfer,  |
| of the pesticide to the    |
| farm                       |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
|                            |
| Ensure chemicals are       |
| transported in a drip tray |
| or similar container large |
| enough to hold spillages   |
| and secured to avoid       |
| tipping.                   |
|                            |

  
Spillage of pesticide 
during storage before use. 
Ensure that the pesticide concentrate storage area is of sound construction, is well maintained and located where it is unlikely to be damaged by 
vehicles.  
  
Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and 
watercourses. 
Ensure pesticide is stored away from drains and watercourses and in a secure tray or bund to 
contain any spillage 
Store pesticide 
concentrate in a properly constructed farm chemical store or approved steel cabinet in 
accordance with HSE  
  
 
Possible accident  
What would the 
How do we reduce the 
harm be?   
chances of it 
happening?  
  
 
Agriculture Information 
Sheet A/S16  
If spillages occur soak them up with an absorbent material and dispose of through a 
registered waste carrier. Overfilling  
Spillages of pesticides due to overfilling sprayer 
tanks.  
Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and 
watercourses  
  
Ensure that you know the capacity of the tanker and 
the quantity of pesticide 
washings or concentrate 
to be placed in the tanker.   
Fill the tanker on an area of hard standing with no drains present to ensure 
containment of any spills.  
  
Follow the spill 
response procedure.    
It describes what to do in the event of a spill and where the kit 
is kept.  
Environmental 
pollution must be reported to the  
Natural Resources 
Wales  
What to do if it 
happens  
 
Spill response procedure as 
described above  
Failure of Plant or Equipment  
Leakages; due to faulty pipe work, holes in the spraying or transporting 
equipment and so on.  
Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and 
watercourses.  
Visual inspection of the pipe work spraying and transporting equipment 
prior to use.  
Preventative maintenance 
regime.  
Possible accident  
What would the 
How do we reduce the 
harm be?   
chances of it 
happening?  
Inappropriate conditions  
Discharging pesticide washings onto frozen, 
waterlogged or cracked land  
Runoff of dip into local water courses or pollution of 
groundwater  
Pesticide must only be spread onto land which is in an appropriate condition to receive it. In 
the event of unsuitable spreading conditions store the dip securely in 
an appropriate container 
until spreading can occur  
Spill response procedure as 
described above.  
What to do if it 
happens  
  

Contamination of land, drains, groundwater and 
watercourses.  
Environmental 
pollution must be reported to the  
Natural Resources 
Wales  
Repeatedly flush spraying equipment with low volumes of water rather than using a single rinse 
of a high volume of water.  
Decontamination of equipment in treated area with a single flush of a large quantity of water. Leading to an over 
application of pesticide.  

 

If the spraying equipment is fitted with a low volume tank washing device use this as recommended by 
the manufacturer.  

  
  
The spaces in the table have been left for you to fill in any other potential accidents or incidents which may occur.  
  
For more information on farm chemical stores look on the Health and Safety Executive's website for their document titled Guidance on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users.  
  
Further information on preventing pollution can be found in our Pollution Prevention Guidelines available on our web site. 

  
PPG 21, incident response planning - contains information on how to produce an incident response plan to deal with an environmental incident on your site.  
  
MAGIC is a web based interactive map service to bring together environmental information from across government. It will be useful in finding local sensitive sites.  
 
C - Key Site and Emergency Contacts  
This table contains information and contacts you may need in an emergency (adjust to suit your site).  
  

SITE DETAILS  
 
 
Location:  
 
 
Postcode:  
 
 
Site Access Grid Reference:  
 
 
Out of hours  
SITE CONTACTS  
Office Hours (specify)  
Owner:  
  
  
Farm Manager:  
  
  
Tennant:  
  
  
  
  
  
EMERGENCY SERVICES  
Office Hours  
Out of hours  
Emergency  
999  
999  

Medical:  
  
  
Police:  
  
  
Fire:  
  
  
REGULATORS  
Office Hours  
Out of hours  
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)  
  
  
Local Authority:  
  
  
Natural Resources Wales (Local)  
 0300 065 3000 
  
EA (24 hour emergency hotline)  
0800 80 70 60  
0800 80 70 60  
Natural England  
  
  
  
  
  
UTILITY AND KEY SERVICES  
Office Hours  
Out of hours  
Pesticide use advisor  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
OTHER KEY CONTACTS  
Office Hours  
Out of hours  
Adjacent landowners:  
  
  
Neighbours:  
  
  
Specialist advisors: