There are several sets of regulations applicable to the soft washing industry:
Under BPR regulations a contractor needs "training". However at the time of writing in August 2021 the soft washing industry in the UK is not governed by these regulations but by the 1986 Control of Pesticide Regulations.
This situation is changing as the UK legislation moves over to the UK BPR regulations from January 2022.
In Ireland the EU BPR regulations will eventually supersede the current PRCD regulations.
To quote from the 1986 regulations:
"Any person who uses a pesticide shall take all reasonable precautions to protect the health of human beings, creatures and plants, to safeguard the environment and in particular to avoid pollution of water.
"No person shall use a pesticide in the course of business unless he has received adequate instruction and guidance in the safe, efficient and humane use of pesticides and is competent for the duties which he is called upon to perform."
Clearly Benz Softwash could not officially certify anyone as "competent" just because they have read and viewed the information on our website.
However, if a contractor believes they have "received adequate instruction and guidance" and are now competent for the work they envisage carrying out, then that contractor could choose to deem themselves competent in the use of biocides in their soft washing business.
PRODUCTS FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY: Under EU, IE, and UK regulations Benz Bio Cleanze and Lightning Cleanze are only available to bona-fide tradespeople and professional cleaning companies who have the necessary understanding and training in their safe use and application.
These products are clearly represented as such in the relevant Product Descriptions and are not for sale to the general public. Any attempt by a member of the public to purchase these products will be refused.
Note: Professional exclusivity does NOT apply to other Benz Softwash products and the general public are welcome to purchase them.
Quick tip: Benz Lightning Cleanze is the only sodium hypochlorite product to carry official legal approvals from the UK and Irish Governments for the cleaning of exterior hard surfaces, and is the only sodium hypochlorite softwash product that can legally be called a "biocide".
Although not specifically focused on soft washing, a recognised qualification authorised by the UK government is the certification course: Pa1 - Safe use of pesticides
Googling using the name of the course as a search term will bring up a number of training providers.
Click here to visit the latest Google listing of certified training providers
Btw: Pa1 is the first of many professional qualifications you can get for applying pesticides. They tend to be geared towards agricultural applications but some information will be valid for non-agricultural products such as the softwash biocides we sell.
Please contact the companies who supply this training for further clarification.
A contractor who completes the training, especially If they have employees, will place themselves in good standing with the HSE and PRCD.
Templates: We supply COSHH assessment templates for our customers to use, in our Product Documentation Pack.
At all times adhere to the best practices described on our product labelling and on this website.
For your own safety and that of your customers please read and adhere to the instructions on the product labels and product pages when using Benz Softwash products.
How to find answers to most soft washing questions: Simply enter a relevant "keyword" or short phrase (e.g. keyword for above link = "how to") into our in-site Search Engine (the magnifying glass icon on main menu)
GB (England, Scotland, Wales)
Phone: 0800 70 74 222
Online: www.benzsoftwash.co.uk
Ireland and other countries
Phone: 00353 214 622 978
Online: www.benzsoftwash.com
Lines open Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm
Please note: The above numbers are for orders only (click here for tech support)