A new greenhouse model for operator exposure has been developed for the purpose of risk assessment of plant protection products in the EU. It is based on exposure data from the Southern European Greenhouse project that were statistically reanalysed and modelled according to procedures already established for the outdoor AOEM project. The model is suitable for operator exposure during mixing/loading and spraying in low crops or high crops using hand-held equipment with stationary mix tanks. Based on a statistical analysis of the data a joint approach was chosen for the tank mixing/loading: data from the outdoor AOEM and the greenhouse database were combined resulting in a tank mixing/loading model valid for outdoor and greenhouse uses. For the application task in low crops and high crops a normal scenario and a dense scenario (frequent contact with treated crop) are available. Exposure mitigation for the use of work wear, gloves and impermeable clothing (for dense application scenario only) is integrated in the model and can be selected for a stepwise risk assessment. Assuming that conditions and practices are similar across Europe the new greenhouse model can be applied by all MS as a harmonised approach for the evaluation and the authorisation of plant protection products
