24 August 2003
The key purpose of the project, as per its title, was addressed over two days during which training and guidance was given over a wide spectrum of subjects. The latter were selected and designed to empower the participants to carry out effective, safe inventorying activities. This activity was somewhat hampered by the late arrival of Personal Protective Equipment stocks. Deployment of the Personal Protective Equipment was not satisfactory and FAO should place more direct involvement into this aspect in future.
Documentation is sparse on some aspects of the subject of obsolete pesticides incl.
POPs as in competence at producing good quality records. The language matter is recognised and allowed for.
Syria has good control over the quality, movement and use of agricultural pesticides but needs to develop this for public health, domestic and veterinary materials. It should also advance to a full, active registration system.
In general there are too many pesticide stores and their numbers should be reduced radically, particularly because of the need for educated, quality management of these establishments, along wit the physical standards that they should be conforming with.
Significant improvement in this regard is already evident within the Agriculture Credit Bank. The stories of the DoH should be exemplary.
The country`s key laboratories seem competent but should underpin their performance with زchain-of- custodyس and inter-laboratory corroborative protocols.
Very few inventory forms were seen and the situation will have to be finally assessed after this contract is over.
The report format is an specified by FAO and was found to be restrictive. As it is impossible to contextualise all findings and opinions into the given format, this is largely overcome by the inclusion of NG`s Diary for the period of contract. Commendatory on From NG`s perspective it presents a robust plan. For FAO there could certainly be a long and deep involvement. Bearing in mind that it is merely a summary of the master document, the following observations are offered:
Management, i.e. Regulation of pesticides in the widest context is "passive" (relying on full-blown "active" registration systems in other, more developed countries) and is fractional. In some way animal remedies and household and public health chemicals should at least be brought under the same, or a similar, umbrella of controls that already exist for agricultural pesticides. the state of the latter is already developed well beyond what had been expected and is quite robust. Syria`s "registration system" is an approval system which, with the assistance of FAO`s specialist Regulatory advisers, the country should develop into an active and comprehensive one. The expertise acquired for the latter would generally provide competence in serving regulatory needs with respect to other chemicals as well.
With the exception of the formulation plant visited in Aleppo, no signs, were observed anywhere of a sensitivity to, or leadership by management towards, occupational heath - hygiene and-safety. This indicates that training workshops planned for the future should aim at multilevel persuasion.
Its figures for the last year`s pesticide imports (1 310 t agriculture; 115 animal & public health; 117 t household) are taken as fact. So also the import figures of 129 t active ingredients and 2 564 t formulated pesticides for agriculture and public heath.
It gives consumption figures of 3 665 t agriculture, 115 t animal health, and 988 t public health plus 1,1 M cans of aerosol. These figures are presumed to coincide with the declaration by the DOA in the FAO Questionnaire on pesticide consumption 2000, and could be refined.
It is possible, even probable, that POPs and other pesticides could enter the country illegally and two small batches of such materiel was seen that had been seized by customs officials over the past few years. these volumes are too insignificant to represent a national hazard. As to the probability of large volumes entering the country, nobody could guess. The only means of prevention seems to lie with Customs in which regard the legislation and specific controls may have to be reviewed.
It cites an obsolete pesticides stocks inventory to total 351t,no doubt revising the extant information in the FAO databank (=327t) . The former figure is to be tested by the outcome of the current exercise. POPs are not expected to feature again significantly after this exercise.
At some point, consideration should be given to training and زregisteringس of operators, drivers and vehicles that are applied in the distribution of pesticides.
Main Findings, Conclusions and Recommendation.
The training exercise was deployed well but was hampered by the late arrival of Personal Protective Equipment. Several participants indicated information overload.
Training materials were adequate and appropriate and were all very well received. The facility where training took place was adequate. Punctuality was not good. There is also always the question: -were the "right" persons present for that people get paid to attend such courses understood but can have a negative effect.
Recommend for future training exercises, that a request be made for Senior staff show leadership by example of punctuality.
The programme should be somewhat decompressed ad should provide for specific discussion sessions, breaks, refreshment.
Perhaps Govt,Departments could be asked to submit a statement on who was selected, for what specific future task (s). Such name lists with contact details would also be of immediate use to project supervisors.
Communications.
Countless examples of inadequate communication exist. To circumvent the consequential "blame culture".
Recommend for the future-hod a meeting of all organising stakeholders EARLY on the day before training starts. this should facilitate doing the introductions, checklisting the forthcoming programme as well as participant related matters and foreseen travel and logistic requirements. This must leave enough time in the day for any outstandings to be brought into line.
Recommend that the "steering committee" be obligated to physically convene with maximum a 6-workday interval. This will ensure that all pertinent information is shared regularly, equally and similarly for and to all. There is much argument against this notion, but it is very firmly believed that productivity and efficiency will gain significantly enough to warrant it.
Provision of Personal Protective Equipment.
The Ministry of Environment received the shipment of Personal Protective Equipment and duly imposed all the governmental restrictions of issue and disposal, hampering distribution by some 5 days. However, as time was to show, its timeous arrival may not have improved the situation all that much, as the distribution process down to user level was grossly ineffective. In the case of the DOA and the ACB, most prospective recipients were sent their gear weeks late or not at all.
Recommend that the Government counterparts are all duly informed beforehand that any documentation and Personal Protective Equipment (and possibly also First Aid materials) supplied by the FAO, are intended for use by the trained participants and persons who they in turn may assign duties.
They should be informed that its distribution shall be at the discretion of FAO, on advice from the various affected parties. Also, that it is not to become the "property" of any Government institution, and that Personal Protective Equipment is destined for safe disposal at the end of an exercise.
Recommend that a few persons be assigned the task of physically presenting the Personal Protective Equipment to the prospective users at the end-point and provide the attendant training in the practical situation. This will ensure that it arrives in good time, that some instruction will be given on its proper use and care, and that hoarding at head office, is prevented.
In short, there are too many stores under Governmental banner and their numbers ought to be reduced drastically (the CBA is regarded as de facto Government). The situation with private sector stores is relatively unknown (e.g. the Farmer`s Union`s selling points, in which regard, please see under 11/12 in the Diary, and training (including Regulatory advice) and store upgrading requirements mentioned later, should bear this sector in mind. Furthermore, all stores that are finally established will need upgrading to FAO standards, which will require a significant amount of advisory activity and consultation and some founding. The perceived situation is as follows:
The ACB in the past, was the principal disseminator of agricultural pesticides, as well as fertilisers, to the farming community. (Most of its former activity has now passed to the private sector). To facilitate this, ACB (still) operates 106 stores across the country. Its role with respect to pesticides is now reduced to holding stock for" strategic crops" in their respective "strategic regions". As a result, all pesticides have now been withdrawn to only 63 stores. It is claimed that the stores thus emptied, have sanitised and are now used solely for fertilisers. It is the Bank`s stated intention to repeat such an exercise and reduce the number of stores holding pesticide, including the disposables to a much smaller number, but only once the current FAO-led exercise enters its next phase. (Vacated stores will be sanitised and used for fertilisers only, thereafter). this will result in the benefit that for a clean-up exercise, the contractor(s) will have significantly fewer points at which to set up.
The Ministry for Local Administration declared 14 stores from which public health pesticides are distributed to local authorities. It is similarly volunteered that there should be fewer stores and that the storage areas require upgrading.
Recommend that all pesticide stores be brought under Regulatory control for "accreditation", which should only be awarded if the store and its management complies with a certain minimum of the FAO recommendations. FAO to guide, advise and train in this regard.
Recommend that the principal owners of the current of materials for disposal inventory (DOA, Ministry of Local Administration, the Farmer`s Union and the ACB), be required to nominate in writing, the stories that will remain in use after the exercise foreseen by this project, by year-end. This will facilitate identification of persons to be trained with respect to store specifications and stock management- providing the training when possible, getting the stores in question upgraded, accredited. Involve the private sector.
The suite of photographs taken shows the condition of material at most of the sties that were visited. Except for dodine powder in 10-packet unbroken boxes, which lends itself naturally to reasonable stacking,and some other instances, material n general terms was in poor condition, hardly ever separated, not segregated and often there is no attempt to curtail or remedy spillages. It is hoped that the inventorising exercise will result in an improvement in this regard.
The key purpose of the project, as per its title, was addressed over two days during which training and guidance was given over a wide spectrum of subjects. The latter were selected and designed to empower the participants to carry out effective, safe inventorying activities. This activity was somewhat hampered by the late arrival of Personal Protective Equipment stocks. Deployment of the Personal Protective Equipment was not satisfactory and FAO should place more direct involvement into this aspect in future.
Documentation is sparse on some aspects of the subject of obsolete pesticides incl.
POPs as in competence at producing good quality records. The language matter is recognised and allowed for.
Syria has good control over the quality, movement and use of agricultural pesticides but needs to develop this for public health, domestic and veterinary materials. It should also advance to a full, active registration system.
In general there are too many pesticide stores and their numbers should be reduced radically, particularly because of the need for educated, quality management of these establishments, along wit the physical standards that they should be conforming with.
Significant improvement in this regard is already evident within the Agriculture Credit Bank. The stories of the DoH should be exemplary.
The country`s key laboratories seem competent but should underpin their performance with زchain-of- custodyس and inter-laboratory corroborative protocols.
Very few inventory forms were seen and the situation will have to be finally assessed after this contract is over.
The report format is an specified by FAO and was found to be restrictive. As it is impossible to contextualise all findings and opinions into the given format, this is largely overcome by the inclusion of NG`s Diary for the period of contract. Commendatory on From NG`s perspective it presents a robust plan. For FAO there could certainly be a long and deep involvement. Bearing in mind that it is merely a summary of the master document, the following observations are offered:
Management, i.e. Regulation of pesticides in the widest context is "passive" (relying on full-blown "active" registration systems in other, more developed countries) and is fractional. In some way animal remedies and household and public health chemicals should at least be brought under the same, or a similar, umbrella of controls that already exist for agricultural pesticides. the state of the latter is already developed well beyond what had been expected and is quite robust. Syria`s "registration system" is an approval system which, with the assistance of FAO`s specialist Regulatory advisers, the country should develop into an active and comprehensive one. The expertise acquired for the latter would generally provide competence in serving regulatory needs with respect to other chemicals as well.
With the exception of the formulation plant visited in Aleppo, no signs, were observed anywhere of a sensitivity to, or leadership by management towards, occupational heath - hygiene and-safety. This indicates that training workshops planned for the future should aim at multilevel persuasion.
Its figures for the last year`s pesticide imports (1 310 t agriculture; 115 animal & public health; 117 t household) are taken as fact. So also the import figures of 129 t active ingredients and 2 564 t formulated pesticides for agriculture and public heath.
It gives consumption figures of 3 665 t agriculture, 115 t animal health, and 988 t public health plus 1,1 M cans of aerosol. These figures are presumed to coincide with the declaration by the DOA in the FAO Questionnaire on pesticide consumption 2000, and could be refined.
It is possible, even probable, that POPs and other pesticides could enter the country illegally and two small batches of such materiel was seen that had been seized by customs officials over the past few years. these volumes are too insignificant to represent a national hazard. As to the probability of large volumes entering the country, nobody could guess. The only means of prevention seems to lie with Customs in which regard the legislation and specific controls may have to be reviewed.
It cites an obsolete pesticides stocks inventory to total 351t,no doubt revising the extant information in the FAO databank (=327t) . The former figure is to be tested by the outcome of the current exercise. POPs are not expected to feature again significantly after this exercise.
At some point, consideration should be given to training and زregisteringس of operators, drivers and vehicles that are applied in the distribution of pesticides.
Main Findings, Conclusions and Recommendation.
The training exercise was deployed well but was hampered by the late arrival of Personal Protective Equipment. Several participants indicated information overload.
Training materials were adequate and appropriate and were all very well received. The facility where training took place was adequate. Punctuality was not good. There is also always the question: -were the "right" persons present for that people get paid to attend such courses understood but can have a negative effect.
Recommend for future training exercises, that a request be made for Senior staff show leadership by example of punctuality.
The programme should be somewhat decompressed ad should provide for specific discussion sessions, breaks, refreshment.
Perhaps Govt,Departments could be asked to submit a statement on who was selected, for what specific future task (s). Such name lists with contact details would also be of immediate use to project supervisors.
Communications.
Countless examples of inadequate communication exist. To circumvent the consequential "blame culture".
Recommend for the future-hod a meeting of all organising stakeholders EARLY on the day before training starts. this should facilitate doing the introductions, checklisting the forthcoming programme as well as participant related matters and foreseen travel and logistic requirements. This must leave enough time in the day for any outstandings to be brought into line.
Recommend that the "steering committee" be obligated to physically convene with maximum a 6-workday interval. This will ensure that all pertinent information is shared regularly, equally and similarly for and to all. There is much argument against this notion, but it is very firmly believed that productivity and efficiency will gain significantly enough to warrant it.
Provision of Personal Protective Equipment.
The Ministry of Environment received the shipment of Personal Protective Equipment and duly imposed all the governmental restrictions of issue and disposal, hampering distribution by some 5 days. However, as time was to show, its timeous arrival may not have improved the situation all that much, as the distribution process down to user level was grossly ineffective. In the case of the DOA and the ACB, most prospective recipients were sent their gear weeks late or not at all.
Recommend that the Government counterparts are all duly informed beforehand that any documentation and Personal Protective Equipment (and possibly also First Aid materials) supplied by the FAO, are intended for use by the trained participants and persons who they in turn may assign duties.
They should be informed that its distribution shall be at the discretion of FAO, on advice from the various affected parties. Also, that it is not to become the "property" of any Government institution, and that Personal Protective Equipment is destined for safe disposal at the end of an exercise.
Recommend that a few persons be assigned the task of physically presenting the Personal Protective Equipment to the prospective users at the end-point and provide the attendant training in the practical situation. This will ensure that it arrives in good time, that some instruction will be given on its proper use and care, and that hoarding at head office, is prevented.
In short, there are too many stores under Governmental banner and their numbers ought to be reduced drastically (the CBA is regarded as de facto Government). The situation with private sector stores is relatively unknown (e.g. the Farmer`s Union`s selling points, in which regard, please see under 11/12 in the Diary, and training (including Regulatory advice) and store upgrading requirements mentioned later, should bear this sector in mind. Furthermore, all stores that are finally established will need upgrading to FAO standards, which will require a significant amount of advisory activity and consultation and some founding. The perceived situation is as follows:
The ACB in the past, was the principal disseminator of agricultural pesticides, as well as fertilisers, to the farming community. (Most of its former activity has now passed to the private sector). To facilitate this, ACB (still) operates 106 stores across the country. Its role with respect to pesticides is now reduced to holding stock for" strategic crops" in their respective "strategic regions". As a result, all pesticides have now been withdrawn to only 63 stores. It is claimed that the stores thus emptied, have sanitised and are now used solely for fertilisers. It is the Bank`s stated intention to repeat such an exercise and reduce the number of stores holding pesticide, including the disposables to a much smaller number, but only once the current FAO-led exercise enters its next phase. (Vacated stores will be sanitised and used for fertilisers only, thereafter). this will result in the benefit that for a clean-up exercise, the contractor(s) will have significantly fewer points at which to set up.
The Ministry for Local Administration declared 14 stores from which public health pesticides are distributed to local authorities. It is similarly volunteered that there should be fewer stores and that the storage areas require upgrading.
Recommend that all pesticide stores be brought under Regulatory control for "accreditation", which should only be awarded if the store and its management complies with a certain minimum of the FAO recommendations. FAO to guide, advise and train in this regard.
Recommend that the principal owners of the current of materials for disposal inventory (DOA, Ministry of Local Administration, the Farmer`s Union and the ACB), be required to nominate in writing, the stories that will remain in use after the exercise foreseen by this project, by year-end. This will facilitate identification of persons to be trained with respect to store specifications and stock management- providing the training when possible, getting the stores in question upgraded, accredited. Involve the private sector.
The suite of photographs taken shows the condition of material at most of the sties that were visited. Except for dodine powder in 10-packet unbroken boxes, which lends itself naturally to reasonable stacking,and some other instances, material n general terms was in poor condition, hardly ever separated, not segregated and often there is no attempt to curtail or remedy spillages. It is hoped that the inventorising exercise will result in an improvement in this regard.
Tomader Fateh
© Syria Times 2003
