UK HSE Recommends Restrictions on Lead Ammunition after Risk Assessment

On 11 October 2023, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in collaboration with the Environment Agency published its risk assessment analysis of the risks to humans and the environment from lead in ammunition. The publication follows a consultation to which the HSE received more than 2500 responses. In the risk assessment, the HSE recommends a restriction on the use of lead shot and lead bullets, with some exceptions, for example for outdoor target shooting in international competitions.

Following the publication of the analysis, the HSE's draft socio-economic opinion on the issue has been opened for a 60-day public consultation, and public comments can be submitted via the HSE’s official website.

HSE conclusions

The HSE has concluded that the following risks are not adequately controlled:

• Environment: lead shot (primary and secondary exposure), lead bullets (secondary exposure), and airgun ammunition (primary exposure and secondary exposure).

• Humans: for people who frequently consume large quantities of game shot with lead ammunition (shot or bullets), there is a health risk to vulnerable people, particularly young children and women of childbearing age, which is not being effectively managed.

The HSE is therefore recommending measures to restrict the use and placing on the market of some types of lead ammunition.

Uses and proposed restriction measures

The table below summarises the different uses of lead ammunition and the measures proposed by the HSE. The HSE emphasises that these restrictions do not amount to a total ban on live quarry shooting or target shooting in Great Britain.

Transitional periods

A transitional period of five years is proposed for the placing on the market and use of lead shot cartridges. This will give the manufacturers time to scale up production to replace the quantity of lead shot currently on the market. A transition period of 2 years is proposed for lead bullets for target shooting.