52 | Sector Focus: Preservatives & Fire Retardants
SUMMARY
■The BPR has been statutory legislation since 2013
■Following Brexit, the HSE now has autonomy for biocidal review
■It takes a number of years to get a new wood preservative to market
■Wood preservation is one of the most challenging applications in the BPR programme
GOVERNANCE GUIDANCE
Wood preservation is a highly regulated sector. To help bring to life
the governance that allows pressure treated timber to be sold across Europe, we caught up with Dr Olivia Allen, regulatory manager for Arxada
Above: Dr Olivia Allen is regulatory manager for Arxada
TTJ: FOLLOWING BREXIT, HOW HAS BIOCIDAL REGULATION CHANGED FOR TREATED TIMBER ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN? Olivia Allen: Across the EU, the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012) has been in place since 2012 and was statutory legislation from 2013. Overseen by the EU Commission and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the BPR concerns the placing on the market and use of biocidal products, which are used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product. This regulation aims to improve the functioning of the biocidal products market in the EU, whilst ensuring a high level of protection for humans and the environment. Wood preservatives are authorised for use in Product Type 8 – products used for the preservation of wood, from and including the sawmill stage, or wood products by the control of wood-destroying or wood- disfiguring organisms, including insects under the BPR. Following the end of the EU exit transition period in December 2020, biocidal active substance and products are now governed by GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR), which is managed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). As an added complexity, biocidal products and active substances placed on the market in
TTJ | November/December 2023 |
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Northern Ireland are still governed by the EU BPR but administered by the HSE. The HSE now has autonomy for biocidal review and does not recognise authorisations approved in an EU country. Because of this, there are currently some disparities between wood protection approvals in GB and the rest of Europe.
For example, across EU member states further restrictions were applied to creosote treated timber in spring of this year, with it only permitted for use for railway sleepers and utility poles. However, these restrictions are not yet enforced across Great Britain.
TTJ: WITH WOOD PRESERVATION EVOLVING, HOW ARE NEW PRODUCTS ASSESSED? OA: Both the EU BPR and GB BPR require extensive information, assessments and evaluation. Biocides applications cover the following four areas: 1) Physico-chemical properties and Physical hazards – covering the wood preservative’s physico-chemical properties to ensure shelf life and technical properties;
2) Efficacy – the application must prove that the wood preservative is effective against wood destroying fungi and insects. Preservatives need to be tested in accordance with the requirements of EN 599-1 to show efficacy in the different use classes in which the treated timber is to be used;
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