Government Analysts Laboratory Privacy Notice

The Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture (DEFA) is registered with the Information Commissioner as a Controller.

The Department takes its responsibilities in relation to your personal information very seriously and makes every effort to ensure it is secure and not used for any purpose incompatible with that for which it was originally collected.

If you have any concerns or questions about how the Department deals with your personal information please contact our Data Protection Officer on 686781 or by email at DPO_DEFA@gov.im.

‘Personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’). An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

‘Processing’ means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

‘Controller’ means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

‘Processor’ means a natural or legal person (other than an employee of the Department), public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

We collect and process information, including your Personal Information in order to carry out our statutory functions and deliver customer services, such as to protect the environment to protect individuals in places of work and provide sample analysis. Anonymised data may be used for other purposes, for example reporting the number of a certain test type per annum, provided that it is not traceable to the customer by inference or implication.

Your Personal Information may be collected:

• On the Laboratory’s sample submission forms when you request a laboratory service;
• Over the telephone when you call to request a laboratory service

Your Personal Information may be shared with the bodies listed below in the public interest on the basis of the legislation listed below.

• The Isle of Man Government Treasury for the purpose of payment for laboratory services provided.

• Details pertaining to samples submitted to the Laboratory for analysis, including images;
• Contact information, for example email and/or telephone numbers;
• Names and addresses, relating to sample information and payment for laboratory services;
• Banking / financial information to provide payment for a laboratory service.

Your Personal Information is processed where this is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Department. The basis for this processing may be found in:

• Board of consumer affairs act 1981
• Explosive substances act 1986
• Fertilisers and feed stuffs act 1975
• Food act 1996
• Hydrocarbon duties act 1986
• Medicines act 2003
• Misuse of drugs act 1976
• Nuclear safeguards act 2000
• Poisons act 1979
• Road traffic act 1985
  • Water act 1991

In some instances we may process on the basis of your consent:

• To provide laboratory services to customers.

You may withdraw your consent at any time using the contact details below.

Your Personal Information relating to laboratory services will be kept for up to 7 years from the last date of contact.

The security and confidentiality of your information is very important to us.

We will ensure that:

• Safeguards are in place to make sure personal data is kept securely.
  • Only authorised staff are able to view your data.
  • Whenever any processing of personal information is considered that has not been carried out before we will risk assess the entire process and consult the Information Commissioner’s Office if we determine there is any high risk to your information cannot be mitigated.
• Staff training in data protection is a continuous process and all new staff must undertake online training.

The Department does not carry out any automated processing.

You have a right to access your personal data to ensure that it is accurate, and to request that it is rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed if it is inaccurate.

To make any request relating to your data held by us, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the details below.

Guidance on making a Data Subject Access Request, when you can request copies of all the Personal Data held about you, can be found on the Info Rights website.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you may also complain to the Information Commissioner, whose details can be found on www.inforights.im, or the relevant supervisory authority. You may have a right to other remedies. 

Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
Thie Slieau Whallian
Foxdale Road
St John’s
Isle of Man
IM4 3AS

Phone: 01624 686781
Fax: 01624 685851
E-mail: DPO-DEFA@gov.im