Coshh
Control of substances hazardous to health
If your business uses or stores chemicals or flammable substances that are classified as hazardous to health (i.e. they have the familiar warning markings on the packaging) then you have a particular duty under the COSHH Regulations to put appropriate controls in place to protect anyone who might be harmed by exposure to them.
With Coshh it’s usually best to start by listing the substances and describing how they are used in your business i.e. what processes occur and how workers come into contact with the hazardous substance at each stage. Include any safety precautions you are already taking i.e. if they are wearing a mask or gloves for example.
Write down how your workers are exposed to the material and for how long – be sure to consider every aspect from supply to disposal and everything that happens in between.
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Then compare what you are doing in your workplace against the guidance issued by the authorities – in this case:
You will also need to get an up to date material safety data sheet from the supplier for each material that is classified as hazardous to health. This will tell you everything you need to know about the hazards of the substance and the precautions you need to take.
Then check to see that exposure is within the allowed limits – usually measured over a week’s average exposure and any one 15 minute exposure. You have a duty to control their exposure to as little as you can and to at least below the 'allowed' maximum level.
See if there is anything else you can do to reduce exposure even further i.e. could you use a less hazardous material or do the work in a different way?
Give us a call if you have any questions or you would like us to come and see you for a free consultation with no obligation
