John Innes Material Safety & Storage Guidelines
Material Safety Data
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations
Within the context of the current COSHH regulations all John Innes Composts supplied by members of this association are regarded as: "non-hazardous"
First Aid measures:
| Contact with eyes | Wash out with clean water |
| Ingestion | No special action is necessary |
| Skin contact | Users with sensitive skin should wear gloves |
Storage of John Innes Composts
All composts, whether loam-based or peat-based can be subject to major detrimental changes if stored incorrectly.
Substantial biological and chemical changes can occur in composts after they are manufactured. The most important from the users' (and the plants') point of view are the changes in pH (acidity) and salinity. Under normal conditions there is an initial increase in pH, followed by a gradual decrease as the organic nitrogen is mineralised. These are perfectly normal reactions and occur in all composts, including those made from peat.
However, it is desirable that these changes occur as slowly as possible, and to achieve this the following points should be observed during storage:
Storage Guidelines
- The compost must be kept dry and cool.
- It is best stored inside in cool buildings. Keep away from radiators, heating ducts, light bulbs, etc.
- If it is stored outside, avoid direct sunlight and rain. Try to site it against a north-facing wall, under a fixed canopy or porch roof.
- Keep dry by covering with white or light-coloured plastic sheeting; black is not suitable as it causes the compost temperature to rise. f the compost is not covered it will absorb water through the breathing holes.
- If the compost is not kept on pallets, ensure that the bottom layer of bags is raised above ground level.
- If the compost is re-stacked, ensure that air can circulate within and between the stacks.
- Always rotate your stock - never put new deliveries on top of old stock.
If the above rules are observed the composts will produce the growing results for which they were formulated, and this, in turn, should ensure customer satisfaction.