COSHH Assessment Guide | 5 Steps to Protect your Employees

What is COSHH?

In the UK, ‘COSHH’ is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous substances by:

• finding out what the health hazards are;
• deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment);
• providing control measures to reduce harm to health;
• making sure they are used ;
• keeping all control measures in good working order;
• providing information, instruction and training for employees and others;
• providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases;
• planning for emergencies.

Most businesses use substances, or products that are mixtures of substances. Some processes create substances. These could cause harm to employees, contractors and other people.

Sometimes substances are easily recognised as harmful. Equally, common household substances such as paint, bleach or dust from natural materials may also be harmful.

In other circumstances, the potential harm caused by a substance or material may not be easily recognised or even understood.

COSHH Meaning | What does COSHH Stand for?

In the UK, COSHH stands for ‘Control of Substances Hazardous to Health’ and under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, employers need to either prevent or reduce their workers’ exposure to substances that are hazardous to their health.

COSHH covers most substances that are hazardous to health. It’s very important to be aware that these ‘substances’ can take many forms and include:

What do the COSHH Regulations 2002 cover?

• chemicals
• products containing chemicals
• fumes
• dusts
• vapours
• mists
• nanotechnology

And that’s not all! The COSHH regulations also cover these…

• gases and asphyxiating gases and
• biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance.
• germs that cause diseases such as leptospirosis or legionnaires disease and germs used in laboratories.

It’s also worth noting the key hazardous materials that the COSHH Regulations do not cover. You may have heard of them before…

• lead
• asbestos or
• radioactive substances

COSHH Assessment – 5 Steps to Assess Risk

You are probably already aware of many risks in your trade or industry. A COSHH assessment concentrates on the hazards and risks from substances in your workplace.

Remember that hazards and risks are not limited to substances labelled as ‘hazardous’.

Here are 5 steps to making a COSHH assessment, beginning by walking around your workplace:

Is there Po...