the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations


Why are the CoSHH regulations in force?

Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people's health at risk. So the law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health.

Read more about SDS and CoSHH here...


What do I do to protect my company?

You need to keep an up-to-date inventory of your hazardous substances and the locations at which they are used. Once you understand your substance inventory you need to collect and keep up-to-date you library of safety data sheets and make them availble to your workforce.

Next, CoSHH risk assessments must be completed for all work activities that involve the use of your hazardous substances. There is no particular standard for which a CoSHH risk assessment needs to conform to. A CoSHH risk assessment is intended to reduce the likelyhood of an incident occuring and to reduce the severity. For this reason you must ensure that a competant health and safety professional has carried out your assessment to ultimately reduce your risk to an acceptable level.

You must review your assessments on a regular basis and should at first focus on those work activities that are higher risk to your workforce and your business.


How to create a CoSHH risk assessment

To produce a specificA specific CoSHH risk Assessment

A CoSHH risk assessment must not be confused with a CoSHH assessment that many service providers and consultants provide. Be careful when choosing a provider for your CoSHH risk assessments and avoid downloading/using CoSHH assessments from online providers. The dangers associated with using someone elses CoSHH risk assessments is that they are not specific to your exact work procedures, the worker using them and the exact brand of substance you may be using. By doing this you could put your business and your workers at greater risk.

Also watch out for CoSHH assessments, they are not a CoSHH risk assessment and only identify the risks associated with the substance, missing fundamentals such as its application by your workers, the specific activity and company procedures. A CoSHH assessment is not adequate as a CoSHH risk assessment according to the requirements of the CoSHH regulations. CoSHH risk assessment you must follow these eight steps:

Step 1Step 1 - Assess the risks

Assess the risks to health from hazardous substances used in or created by your workplace activities. Risk needs to be assessed specific to the person whom is using the substance also. For example, teratogens must not be used by pregnant women because they can cause birth defects. - Assess the risks
Step 2Step 2 - Decide what precautions are needed
You must not carry out work which could expose your employees to hazardous substances without first considering the risks and the necessary precautions and what else you need to do to comply with CoSHH. - Decide what precautions are needed
Step 3Step 3 - Prevent or adequately control exposure
You must prevent your employees from being exposed to hazardous substances. Where preventing exposure is not reasonably practicable, then you must adequately control it. The advice in this leaflet and in the other guidance it refers to will help you to make correct assessments and to put the appropriate controls into place. - Prevent or adequately control exposure
Step 4Step 4 - Ensure control measures are used and maintained
Ensure that control measures are used andmaintained properly and that safety procedures are followed. - Ensure control measures are used and maintained
Step 5Step 5 - Monitor the exposure
Monitor the exposure of employees to hazardous substances, if necessary. - Monitor the exposure
Step 6Step 6 - Carry out appropriate health surveillance
Carry out appropriate health surveillance where your assessment has shown this is necessary or where CoSHH sets specific requirements. Take particular notice of risk and safety phrases on the manufacturers safety data sheet. - Carry out appropriate health surveillance
Step 7Step 7 - Prepare plans and procedures to deal with with accidents, incidents and emergencies
Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving hazardous substances where necessary. - Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies
Step 8Step 8 - Ensure employees are properly informed, trained and supervised
You should provide your employees with suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. Your CoSHH and CoSHH risk report should be thorough whilst simple to understand for the person carrying out the tasks within your organisation. After all the outcome should lead to employee safety and reduced liabilities for your company. - Ensure employees are properly informed, trained
and supervised


HSE CoSHH Publications

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). Approved Code of Practice and guidance L5 (Fifth edition) HSE Books 2005 ISBN 0 7176 2981 3

COSHH essentials: Easy steps to control chemicals. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations HSG193 (Second edition) HSE Books 2003 ISBN 0 7176 2737 3
CoSHH Risk Assessment Screenshot - COSHH365
  I've been enforcing the CoSHH regulations for many years. Products like these can really make a difference in compliance.
- Senior HSE Inspector, Health and Safety Executive
CoSHH Risk Assessor
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