Product Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are NOT CoSHH Risk Assessments.
Published Date: 2nd March 2009
A shocking report from recent health and safety audits provided by several of our partners found that an alarming number of employers believed that product safety data sheets provided by suppliers and manufacturers where in fact adequate CoSHH risk assessments. Product safety data sheets for chemicals are not CoSHH assessments. Manufacturers and suppliers of hazardous substances are required by law to provide safety information on the products they supply but they do not consider these chemicals for the exact purpose in which they may be being used or other chemicals they may be used in conjunction with. Companies must write their own CoSHH assessment on each chemical and periodically review these assessments considering the individual and the working environment. It is important that you have access to specialist advice where required and companies like our own can provide all the help and guidance you need. The greatest risk posed in risk assessment is when you don't know that you don't know!
Most risks can be kept to a minimum, however, by adopting correct procedures and training of staff on the safe use and handling of chemicals and ensuring that personal protective equipment such as gloves, face visors, fume masks and clothing, are available when hazardous substances are in use. Remember - some people are more susceptible to certain substances than others so please consider monitoring of your workers. If in doubt - ask a specialist!
Personal protective equipment should be based on risk assessment and should only be issued when staff have been fully trained in why it is needed and how to use it. PPE should be correctly maintained and disposed of.
Legal requirements applying to the use of chemicals call on the employer to assess the risks arising from the use of hazardous substances and must also include the health and safety risks arising from storage, handling or disposal of any of the substances.
All hazardous chemicals used must be listed and a record kept describing their use and a description of the type of hazard they represent. A solution like COSHH365 and COSHH100 provided by Ethos Solution can store all this information online indefinitely, so that if you are ever audited your risk assessments, safety data sheets and historical data is available 100% of the time. Risk management systems show auditors that a company is taking the proactive approach in protecting its workforce and meeting the requirements of the law.
All members of staff should be informed, trained and supervised in the use of chemicals – it is not enough to simply issue Safety Data Sheets. This will ensure for example in cleaning, that staff will never mix cleaning chemicals and also when diluting will always add the concentrated liquid to water and not the water to the concentrate.
Senior managers should ensure thorough risk assessments have been carried out and comprehensive health & safety planning is in place or they should be prepared for the consequences.