A biocide is a chemical substance, mixture or micro-organism intended to control a harmful organism in a way that is not purely physical or mechanical. In Great Britain biocidal products are regulated under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR), with the HSE as the enforcing authority. For trade buyers, that means two things: a biocidal product must be authorised (or be covered by the rules for active substances still under review) before it is supplied, and the person using it is responsible for following the label and assessing the risk at work.
That definition comes straight from the HSE’s introduction to biocides, and it is broader than most people expect. Disinfectants, wood preservatives and insect repellents are the HSE’s own examples, and algaecides sit under the same regime. If you buy disinfectant concentrates, surface sanitisers or algae treatments for a business, this guide explains what to look for before an order goes in.
What Counts as a Biocidal Product?
The HSE describes biocidal products as products used to protect people and animals, preserve goods, stop pests like insects or rodents and control viruses, bacteria and fungi through a chemical or biological action. A typical biocidal product is a mixture of chemicals that includes an “active substance”, which is the part that does the controlling.
Biocidal products can also be:
- 100% active substance with no other components
- articles impregnated with an active substance, such as disinfecting wipes
- products where the active substance is generated at the point of use, for example by a machine that generates ozone from the air
What is not covered matters too. Ordinary cleaning products that are not intended to have a biocidal effect, such as washing liquids and powders, fall outside the disinfectant product types, and the HSE notes that products working only by physical means, such as fly swats and UV fly killers, are not controlled. Some products, such as those applied to human skin before an operation, may be regulated elsewhere as medicines or cosmetics. The HSE’s guide to checking whether a product is regulated as a biocide sets out the boundaries.
The 22 Product Types (and the Ones Trade Buyers Meet Most)
GB BPR groups biocidal products into 22 product types across four main groups: disinfectants, preservatives, pest control and other biocidal products. You will often see them abbreviated, so “PT2” means Product Type 2. For most commercial buyers, a handful come up again and again:
| Product type | What the HSE says it covers |
|---|---|
| PT2 | Disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals, including surfaces, swimming pools and other waters |
| PT3 | Veterinary hygiene |
| PT4 | Food and feed area: equipment, containers, surfaces and pipework linked to producing, transporting, storing or consuming food or feed |
| PT10 | Construction material preservatives |
| PT11 | Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems |
Source: HSE, check your product is regulated as a biocidal product.
The product type matters because a biocidal product is authorised for specific uses. A product authorised as a surface disinfectant is not automatically suitable for food-contact areas, and the label will tell you which uses are permitted.
Authorisation: What It Means for the Buyer
Under GB BPR, a biocidal product must be authorised before it can be made available on the market, and before that can happen the active substance or substances it contains or generates must be approved for use in that product type. The HSE defines “making available on the market” as any supply of a biocidal product, whether in return for payment or free of charge, at all stages of the supply chain, which covers everyone from manufacturer to distributor to end user.
There is an important nuance. Many active substances are still working through the review programme, and the HSE’s guidance on active substance status explains that products based on a substance still under review can be made available on the Great Britain or Northern Ireland markets in certain circumstances without HSE authorisation. So a product missing from the list of authorised biocidal products is not necessarily unlawful, but it is worth asking your supplier about its status.
If you are buying an active substance concentrate to formulate your own disinfectant or sanitiser, the regulatory picture shifts again, because the finished product you place on the market may itself need authorisation. That is a question for your own regulatory adviser before you sell anything on.
Reading a Biocidal Product Label
The HSE’s guidance on using biocides says you must make sure you read and understand the label before use. On an authorised product, look for:
- An authorisation or approval number, in formats such as GB-YYYY-XXXX-ZZZZ, UK-YYYY-XXXX-ZZZZ, NI-YYYY-XXXX-ZZZZ or HSE XXXX
- What it is authorised for: the product must not be used for any other purpose
- Who may use it: the general public, professional users, professional users with demonstrated competence, or industrial users
- The label’s instructions on application, protective equipment, storage and disposal
Alongside the label, every hazardous product you buy should come with a safety data sheet. Our safety information page explains how we provide hazard warnings and safety data sheets for the products we supply.
Professional Users: Your Responsibilities
The HSE treats you as a professional user if you use biocides as part of your job or in your business and have received appropriate information, instruction and training.
The training the HSE expects covers the relevant law (GB BPR and the Control of Pesticides Regulations), correct use, protective equipment, and how to carry out a risk assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). In practice that means a biocide sits inside your existing COSHH arrangements like any other hazardous substance: assess it, control exposure, train the people using it and keep the records.
The HSE also asks users to consider whether a biocide is needed at all, and to buy only what they need.
Storing and Disposing of Biocides
The HSE’s storage rules for biocides are short and non-negotiable:
- Keep them in their original containers
- Close or seal packaging tightly
- Store them out of reach of children and pets, and locked away if the label says so
Professional users can follow the general principles in the HSE leaflet on storing pesticides for farmers and other professional users. For disposal, check the label first. Anyone who uses biocides is responsible for disposing of the waste, including empty containers, and professional users may need a specialist waste contractor.
Choosing a Biocide Supplier
A good supplier makes compliance easier rather than harder. Before ordering, it is reasonable to expect:
- A current safety data sheet for every hazardous product
- Clear product descriptions, including the active substance and concentration
- Pack sizes that match your usage, so part-used containers do not sit in storage for months
- A straight answer when you ask about a product’s regulatory status
Our cleaning chemicals range includes quaternary ammonium actives such as BAC 50 alongside acids, alkalis and other trade cleaning chemicals, supplied in poly containers, drums and IBCs. See our delivery information for how pallet delivery works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a biocide?
A biocide is a chemical substance, mixture or micro-organism intended to control a harmful organism in a way that is not purely physical or mechanical. Disinfectants, wood preservatives and insect repellents are common examples.
Who regulates biocides in the UK?
In Great Britain, biocidal products are regulated under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation, with the HSE as the enforcing authority and publisher of the guidance. Northern Ireland follows the EU Biocidal Products Regulation.
Are all cleaning products biocides?
No. Cleaning products with no intended biocidal effect, such as ordinary washing liquids and powders, are excluded from the disinfectant product types. A product becomes a biocide when it is intended to control harmful organisms.
How do I know if a biocidal product is authorised?
Look for an authorisation number on the label and check the HSE’s list of authorised biocidal products. Some products based on active substances still under review may not appear there, so ask your supplier if you are unsure.
Does COSHH apply to biocides?
Yes. If biocides are used at work, they should be covered by your COSHH risk assessment, with appropriate controls, protective equipment and training for the people using them.
Biocides are tightly regulated in Great Britain, but the essentials for a trade buyer are manageable: know what product type you need, check the label and authorisation status, keep the safety data sheet to hand, and bring the product into your COSHH assessment. Browse our cleaning chemicals range or contact our team if you need help choosing the right disinfectant active for your site.
Related guides
- Cleaning Chemicals: acids, alkalis and disinfectant actives for trade buyers.
- Chemical Delivery in the UK: what to expect on lead times, ADR and reordering.
- Chemical Distributors UK: how we source, stock and supply chemicals to trade buyers.