Specific rules for protecting areas of drinking water abstraction, or honey bees and birds, and stipulating buffer zones to surface waters are well established tools and have been widely used for regulatory purposes. The Safety Precautions Phrases (SP-phrases) are among the information that appears on the label, and aim at providing pesticide users with directions for use that effectively mitigate the exposure of, and risks to human, animal health, and the environment.  These SP-phrases are most often deduced from the conclusions of risk assessments.