Guidance

List of exemptions

Updated 8 April 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplying-explosives-precursors/list-of-exemptions

A number of products/product types are exempted from being a regulated poison. These exemptions do not apply to products that contain regulated explosive precursors:

  • adhesives
  • anti-fouling compositions
  • builders’ materials
  • ceramics
  • cosmetic products
  • distempers
  • electrical valves
  • enamels
  • explosives
  • fillers
  • fireworks
  • fluorescent lamps
  • flux in any form for use in soldering
  • glazes
  • glue
  • inks
  • lacquer solvents
  • loading materials
  • matches
  • medicated animal feeding stuffs
  • motor fuels and lubricants
  • paints
  • photographic paper
  • pigments
  • plastics
  • propellants
  • rubber
  • varnishes
  • vascular plants and their seeds

The following special exemptions also apply:

Poison Exempted substance or article
Ammonia Substances not being solutions of ammonia or preparations containing solutions of ammonia; substances containing <10% w/w of ammonia (NH₃); refrigerators
Arsenic, its compounds Pyrites ores or sulphuric acid containing arsenic or compounds of arsenic as natural impurities; reagent kits/devices for medical or veterinary use; substances containing <0.1% w/w of arsanilic acid
Barium, salts of Witherite (except finely ground); barium carbonate bonded to charcoal for case hardening; fire extinguishers with barium chloride; sealed smoke generators with ≤25% w/w barium carbonate
Bromomethane Fire extinguishers
Formaldehyde Substances containing <5% w/w of formaldehyde (HCHO); photographic glazing or hardening solutions
Formic acid Substances containing <25% w/w of formic acid (HCOOH)
Hydrochloric acid Substances containing <10% w/w of hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Hydrogen cyanide Preparations of wild cherry; reagent kits for medical/veterinary use with <0.1% w/w hydrogen cyanide (HCN)
Methomyl Solid substances containing ≤1% w/w of methomyl
Nicotine; its salts; quaternary compounds Tobacco; cigarette paper (excluding filter wrap) with ≤10 mg nicotine per cigarette; aerosol preparations ≤0.2% w/w nicotine; other liquid or soap-based solids ≤7.5% w/w nicotine
Oxamyl Granular preparations
Oxydemeton-methyl Aerosol dispensers containing ≤0.25% w/w oxydemeton-methyl
Phenols Liquid disinfectants/antiseptics with <0.5% phenol and <5% other phenols; motor fuel treatments without phenol and <2.5% other phenols; reagent kits for medical/veterinary use; solid substances with <60% phenols; tar oil distillation fractions with ≤5% phenols
Phosphoric acid Substances containing phosphoric acid, excluding descaling preparations with >50% w/w ortho-phosphoric acid
Potassium hydroxide Substances with <17% total caustic alkalinity (as KOH); accumulators; batteries
Sodium fluoride Substances containing <3% sodium fluoride as preservative
Sodium hydroxide Substances with <12% total caustic alkalinity (as NaOH)
Sodium silicofluoride Substances containing <3% sodium silicofluoride as preservative
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