Controlling pesticides

Pest-control companies should be put under greater scrutiny to ensure public safety

The rules state that pest-control staff should be properly trained before working in the field. Ravindranath K / The National

The misuse of toxic pesticides in households still gives us serious cause for concern. Last year, the Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance fined the owner of a pest-control company a total of Dh230,000 for causing the death of a woman who lived in an apartment building in which the company used an "extremely strong, poisonous pesticide". In Sharjah, a three-week-old boy died after aluminium phosphide, a banned pesticide containing a chemical unsuitable for domestic use, was applied in the flat next door to his home. These are not isolated incidents, but merely the latest sad cases in a long list of tragic infringements.

As The National reported yesterday, one resident said that pest-control staff seemed to be untrained and lacked awareness of proper safety procedures.

The rules state that pest-control staff should be properly trained before working in the field. Unfortunately, these regulations are often only enforced retrospectively. In last year’s court case, it was only after the woman died that the company concerned was fined for failing to follow proper procedures while handling pesticides.

The same case also highlighted the existence of unlicensed companies charging cheaper prices – as little as Dh50 – to attract new customers. Their low cost and the apparent lack of awareness among the general public make for a potentially lethal combination.

This newspaper has previously advocated for a strict licensing scheme, for adherence to that strategy and for rigorous enforcement. We also believe that rogue traders should be subject to the toughest penalties. There is no doubt that these steps will help prevent further tragedies.

But more than that, the system also relies on an inquisitive and knowledgeable public who are prepared to ask questions of those who administer pesticides in their homes. If the practitioner refers to the products he uses in seemingly mystical and vague terms – such as “German gel” – the chances are that they are not quite the real deal. We can all play a part in the war on illegal pesticides.