From the 2nd quarter of 2024 until the end of 2025, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) inspected 439 hardware stores for compliance with the Explosives Precursors Act (Wpe). The inspection aims to prevent dangerous substances from falling into the wrong hands. Precursors are chemicals that can be found in everyday products and can be misused to make explosives.
Over 400 inspections were conducted at large hardware store chains with multiple branches in the Netherlands. The ILT found that 262 of the 439 hardware stores fell short in terms of verification, information and reporting obligations and the obligations when selling to private individuals. Mainly unfamiliarity with the law and with raw materials (precursor) for explosives led to these shortcomings. All 262 hardware stores received a warning from the ILT. Re-inspections at the large hardware store chains are scheduled for the end of this year.
Hardware stores adjust assortment and procedures
Hardware stores sell, besides building materials, tools and DIY products, often also acetone, drain cleaners with sulfuric acid, urine stone remover or etching paste with nitric acid, and sometimes also fertilizers with ammonium nitrate. These chemicals can serve as raw materials for explosives.
To reduce safety risks and increase awareness, the ILT held talks with the headquarters of 9 large hardware store chains with Dutch branches. The talks and inspections have led to adjustments in the assortment and improved internal procedures at the hardware stores. For example, products with chemicals subject to restrictions are removed from the assortment by most chains and returned to the supplier. Chains that want to stop selling drain cleaners with high concentrations of sulfuric acid want to replace them with other products based on sodium hydroxide. Consumers are still allowed to buy these products.
Pilot mystery shoppers
To further improve compliance with the Wpe, the ILT is starting a pilot with mystery shoppers. They visit physical stores anonymously to check whether processes are carried out correctly and can observe matters that are normally not or less visible to inspectors. Moreover, the pilot contributes to early detection of risks.
Verification obligation
Verification is mandatory when selling chemicals for which the Wpe imposes restrictions at higher concentrations. Hardware stores must check the ID of both private and business customers for every sale of chemicals. For business customers, they must also verify and register whether the end use of the precursor(s) matches the business activities. The verification obligation was incompletely or incorrectly followed by 225 hardware stores. This increases the chance that precursors can fall into the wrong hands and poses safety risks.
Reporting obligation
Sellers must report a suspicious transaction or attempt thereof within 24 hours to the Suspicious Chemical Transactions Reporting Point of the Tax Authorities. This allows the customer to be traced as quickly as possible to find out what the customer intended with the chemicals. This helps prevent misuse of precursors for explosives as much as possible. 118 hardware stores were incompletely aware of the reporting obligation. This creates the risk that there are no procedures for recognizing suspicious transactions and that missing and/or stolen chemicals are handled incorrectly.
Information obligation
Every staff member who has access to products containing raw materials for explosives must know the risks of those products and for what purposes they may be used. Staff must also inform the customer about this. If staff do not (properly) know which products fall under the Wpe, there is a risk that dangers and suspicious transactions are not recognized (in time). Of the inspected hardware stores, 164 were insufficiently familiar with the information obligation.
Sales to non-permit holders
Sales to private individuals without a usage permit means it is unknown who buys these chemicals and for what purposes they are used. Even if a private individual pays in cash, it is no longer possible to trace who bought the product. This can pose risks to public safety. 125 of the 439 inspected hardware stores sold products containing precursors for explosives to private individuals without a permit.
About ILT supervision
Compliance with the Explosives Precursors Act (Wpe) is important for public safety. As a supervisor, the ILT checks whether producers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers have a system for registration and control of sales of precursors for explosives. It also checks to what extent staff properly implement this system. This concerns sales of precursors to other market participants (sellers), professional users and private individuals.