HSE Launches Consultation on the Future of

Anticoagulant Rodenticides

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has opened a public consultation on the continued approval of anticoagulant rodenticides under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR). The consultation, which runs from 12 August to 30 September 2025, will play a critical role in determining whether these products remain available for professional and public use in the UK.

What’s at Stake?

The review covers six active substances widely used in rodent control:

Difethialone
Difenacoum
Bromadiolone
Brodifacoum
Flocoumafen
Coumatetralyl

These substances are classed as “candidates for substitution” because of concerns around toxicity, persistence in the environment, and risks to non-target species. Under GB BPR, they may only continue to be authorised if HSE concludes they are essential to protect human health, animal welfare, food safety, or the environment.

Focus of the Consultation

HSE is carrying out a comparative assessment to examine:

Whether safer alternatives are available, including non-chemical control methods;
The effectiveness of those alternatives in delivering reliable rodent control;
The economic and practical impacts of removing or restricting anticoagulants;
The importance of maintaining chemical diversity to reduce the risk of rodent resistance.

Who Should Respond?

HSE is inviting views from all sectors where rodent control is critical, including:

Pest management professionals;
Public health and animal health bodies;
Food production, storage, and retail;
Critical infrastructure such as water, energy, and defence;
Wildlife and conservation organisations.

Both public and confidential submissions are being accepted, with templates provided on the HSE consultation website.

Why It Matters

Anticoagulant rodenticides have long been a cornerstone of pest management, but their environmental risks—particularly to birds of prey and other non-target wildlife—are significant. At the same time, safe and effective alternatives are limited, and resistance is an increasing concern. The outcome of this consultation could therefore have far-reaching consequences for both the pest control sector and wider society.

Next Steps

The consultation closes on 30 September 2025. HSE will then review the evidence and publish its findings, which will inform whether current authorisations are renewed, restricted, or withdrawn.

The NPTA are strongly recommending that all Pest Professionals and stakeholders participate to ensure the realities of rodent control in the UK are fully represented.

The full consultation and response templates are available on the HSE website: GB BPR Anticoagulant Rodenticides Consultation