Dolphin Bay wishes to congratulate the timber treatment industry for responding swiftly to the requirement for PCO registration and applying with the help of the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA) and Dolphin Bay.
The PCO legislation was drafted many years ago, and SAWPA had the foresight to ask for amendments to distinguish timber preservatives from crop pesticides. The Department of Agriculture complied with this request, in recognition of the distinct natures of the industries.
The crop pesticides industry is largely unregulated, selling products directly to farmers or the public, which has ready access to these products. Timber preservatives are different. They are used by a regulated industry, in fixed equipment on fixed sites, by operators trained by Dolphin Bay. Treatment plants in South Africa are regulated by the South African National Standards which are enforced by the National Regulator for Compulsory Standards and are policed by accreditation bodies.
Distinction in the legislation
All of this means that our industry is heavily regulated and, with the training from Dolphin Bay, no additional training is needed.
We’ve noticed that confusion has arisen in our industry, leading some to believe that training is required for PCO certification. This is untrue, although we understand where the confusion arose. Reading the legislation, you would see a clear distinction between pesticides and wood preservatives, but the PCO registration form, when taken at face value, could give a different impression, as it clearly asks for training certificates.
The form focuses on pesticides used for crops and does not make provision for wood preservatives – but this shouldn’t confuse us.
Our industry is heavily regulated, and Dolphin Bay’s training is sufficient.
It was this potential confusion that led SAWPA and Dolphin Bay to help customers and the industry to complete their applications in compliance with the legislation and to the satisfaction of the department.
To be clear, no training is needed for any PCO application. The information required for submitting the application is adequate.
Dolphin Bay will continue to provide operator training, which is sufficient for certification and accreditation, and which includes modules on the safe handling of chemicals and occupational health and safety, for which a certificate is issued to confirm operators’ competence.
The issuing of the PCO certificates reinforces the point that the department is satisfied with our processes. We thank the department for working with our industry.
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- FRESH PROMISE FOR SA’S PORTS - October 29, 2025
- NO PCO TRAINING REQUIRED IN THE WOOD PRESERVATION INDUSTRY - October 29, 2025
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