What is PD CR 13455 - Safety guidelines for soil improvers and growing media about?
PD CR 13455 is a standard that covers safety guidelines for soil improvers and growing media, ensuring safety and protection in agricultural applications.
PD CR 13455 provides a framework in which guidelines have been suggested to protect users (the exposed human population in general), the environment (flora, fauna, and ecosystems in a broad sense, including soil and water) and plants that are grown in the soil improver or growing medium.
Note: PD CR 13455 does not include the WG 2’s excluded investigations on quality aspects that are -
- Commonly referred to as “fitness for purpose”, i.e. the commercial quality, composition or formulation that makes a product suited to satisfy a specific market application
- Pertaining to consumer protection from commercial fraud, including product conformity to a stated composition and tolerances of deviations from it
Who is PD CR 13455 - Safety guidelines for soil improvers and growing media for?
PD CR 13455 on safety guidelines for soil improvers and growing media applies to:
- Manufacturers of soil improvers and growing media
- Testing houses and labs for soil improvers and growing media
- Quality assurance services
- Research and development departments
- Soil inspection services
Why should you use PD CR 13455 - Safety guidelines for soil improvers and growing media?
Soil improver is material added to soil in situ primarily to maintain or improve its physical properties and may improve its chemical and biological properties or activity. Soil improvers are mixed into the top layer of the garden, in the root zone of the plants. Growing media are mixes of components that give plants water, air, nutrients, and support.
PD CR 13455 provides users guidance on different types of hazards in a standardized format as shown below:
- Description of the hazard
- Existing regulations that are relevant
- Discussion of the applicability of the hazard to soil improvers and growing media
- Recommended safety guidelines formulated by WG 2 of CEN/TC 223
PD CR 13455 provides users with a list of hazards such as dust explosion, organic contaminants, mineral constituents, biological hazards, microbial by-products, physical, physicochemical, seeds-propagules, phytotoxic factors and corresponding recommended actions, enabling the development of safety protocols.
PD CR 13455 also provides users with a list of national limits on various impurities in composted materials, including country, types of impurities, mesh size, limit values, enabling the users to comply with the required regulations.
With obedience and compliance to PD CR 13455, users can assess and develop a safety framework for soil improvers and growing media, enabling the safety and protection of flora, fauna, water and plants.