CoSHH Assessment - Limiting Exposure using Control Methods
Published Date: 18th January 2010
When completing a CoSHH assessment having failed to remove or lessen any such risks to a satisfactory level, then control measures need to be considered.
Control measures are always a combination of equipment and ways of working to minimise exposure. Such measures may include extra training, personal protective equipment, warning signage etc. You need control measures that work and continue to work each and every day in order that you comply with CoSHH procedures.
There is a hierarchy of control measures which should be adhered to when deciding how to control the hazards and risks that have been identified.
The first measure is to eliminate the hazard or prevent the risk and use a safer one. If exposure cannot be prevented, then the risk must be minimised by measures considered in the following order of priority:
- Use a safer form of the substance, e.g. paste rather than powder.
- Alter and enclose the process to expel less of the substance.
- Extract any emissions of the substance near the point of supply.
- Have as few employees in harm's way as possible.
- Provide workers with personal protective equipment (PPE).
Control equipment comes in a variety of forms such as, glove boxes and fume cupboards and spray booths and refuges. The equipment should be supplied with a 'user manual' and should include schedules for checks, maintenance and parts replacement. Any defective equipment should be fixed as soon as possible and checks and actions should be recorded for at least five years. Finally, once control measures are put in place and are implemented accordingly, you must ensure that they keep working effectively.
Someone from your workplace should be nominated to be in charge of checking and maintaining control measures. This has to be someone who is competent and who knows what they need to do and are able to do it.
Checks will include: ensuring that the process isn't emitting uncontrolled contaminants, checking that the control equipment continues to work as it was designed and making sure that employees follow the correct way of working.
Two areas to consider where maintenance of control measures is critical are local exhaust ventilation (LEV) and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) helps remove airborne contaminants before people breathe them in and if your workplace uses LEV to control exposure, then it must be checked and examined thoroughly every year.
Personal protective equipment is frequently used as part of control measures. The success of this control depends on the equipment being checked and maintained because, if it fails, it no longer provides protection and thus exposes the wearer to danger.
It is imperative that whoever configures, installs, maintains and assesses your control measures has the required skills, knowledge and experience along with CoSHH experience.