Briefs
Making children's paints and crayons safe
Keeping children safe is at the heart of a new Group Standard for the manufacture, import and sale of crayons and paints.
The Group Standard, which comes into force in June 2009, updates the HSNO legislation to ensure that children's paints and crayons do not contain excessive or harmful levels of toxic substances.
Importers and manufacturers must not sell paints and crayons that exceed the metal limits set in the Group Standard. They must provide evidence to the Medical Officer of Health to this effect.
Navigating ERMA
ERMA New Zealand is making changes to the way it manages its records of applications, including reassessments and amendments.
This means the numbering system for applications initiated after 1 June 2009 will change.
Application numbers will no longer include letters such as NO and HS, to indicate the group or application type they relate to. Instead, all applications will be sequentially numbered ERMA0000001, ERMA0000002, etc.
All existing applications and documents associated to an application will be searchable on the ERMA New Zealand website under their previously assigned number.
GM brassica update
In December last year, a genetically modified brassica at a Plant and Food Research trial site in Lincoln was found to have flowered, breaching the controls of its ERMA New Zealand approval.
Plant and Food halted the trial while MAF Biosecurity NZ undertook a thorough investigation of the incident.
This investigation found that genetically modified material was unlikely to have moved from the field test site.
The trial, in the second year of a 10-year project, was shut down.
In March, MAF issued a compliance order requiring Plant and Food to carry out a programme of surveillance and soil management on the site till 2013 to detect and remove any volunteer plants which might contain GM heritable material.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority has set up a special committee, chaired by Authority member and Auckland University Associate Dean Dr Manuka Henare, to investigate the incident.
This inquiry will look at the adequacy and practicality of the trial's controls, as well as ERMA New Zealand's policies and procedures. It will also consider the adequacy and practicality of controls for Plant and Food’s GM allium trial, which is currently suspended.
ERMA New Zealand staff will provide a report to the committee, which will then decide whether to action any proposed recommendations.
GM animals application in court
ERMA New Zealand is awaiting a decision on GE-Free New Zealand's application to the High Court to have applications by AgResearch to import, develop and field test genetically modified animals withdrawn.
Crown Research Institute AgResearch made four linked applications to the Environmental Risk Management Authority to import, develop and field test genetically modified animals from nine species, including sheep, cows, pigs and horses.
GE-Free New Zealand said insufficient information had been provided on the new organisms to be created, or where they would be developed and tested.
A hearing was held in the High Court at Wellington on 9-10 March 2009, and Justice Clifford reserved his decision.
Approved Handler Test Certificate renewals under way
No certificate, no sale.
A renewals homepage on ERMA New Zealand's website provides information on how to renew Approved Handler Test Certificates.
Test certificates are required to ensure people handling certain hazardous substances have the knowledge and competency to do so safely.
It is five years since the first Approved Handler Test Certificates were issued. More than 71,000 certificates will expire in the next five years and ERMA New Zealand is urging all approved handlers to check the expiry date on their certificates.
The renewals homepage (www.ermanz.govt.nz/approvedhandlers/) explains what approved handlers and test certifiers need to do to renew their certificates.
It includes frequently asked questions and forms for test certifiers to use when assessing applicants for renewals.
To renew a test certificate, approved handlers will need to show a test certifier they are aware of changes to the HSNO legislation, any codes of practice and working practices relevant to their existing certificate.
Members of AGCARM (The Association for Animal Health and Crop Protection) have implemented a policy of "No Certificate = No Sale" when it comes to selling agrichemicals.
ERMA New Zealand acknowledges the stance taken by AGCARM and encourages other industry groups and retailers to adopt a similar policy.