The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations in the UK are a set of legal requirements aimed at controlling substances that are hazardous to health to prevent or reduce workers’ exposure to these substances. These regulations apply to a wide range of substances and situations in the workplace, including chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, nanotechnology, gases, biological agents, and any other substances that could harm workers’ health through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact.
Key Requirements of COSHH Regulations
Risk Assessment: Employers are required to assess the risks to health from hazardous substances used in the workplace. This includes evaluating the risks from storage, handling, or disposal of these substances and making arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents, or emergencies.
Prevention and Control: Employers must prevent exposure to hazardous substances. If prevention is not reasonably practicable, they must adequately control exposure. This could involve using alternative substances, changing processes, or implementing control measures like ventilation or personal protective equipment (PPE).
Information, Instruction, and Training: Employers must provide their staff with information, instruction, and training about the risks associated with hazardous substances and the precautions to take. This includes the provision of appropriate protective equipment and how to use it correctly.
Health Surveillance and Monitoring: Where appropriate, employers should provide health surveillance for employees exposed to hazardous substances. Monitoring the workplace’s air for hazardous substances may also be required to ensure control measures are effective.
Emergency Planning: Employers must plan for emergencies involving hazardous substances, which includes having procedures in place to deal with spills, leaks, or other incidents.
Record Keeping: Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings of the risk assessment and any monitoring or health surveillance undertaken. These records should be accessible to safety representatives and inspectors5
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Substances Not Covered by COSHH
COSHH does not cover certain hazardous substances because they have their own specific regulations. This includes substances such as asbestos and radioactive materials, which are governed by separate legal frameworks.
Enforcement and Penalties
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for enforcing COSHH regulations in the UK. Non-compliance with COSHH can lead to investigations, warnings, and potentially severe penalties, including unlimited fines or prison sentences for serious breaches. Employers and employees can be personally liable for breaches of health and safety legislation.
Applicability
COSHH applies to most workplaces in the UK that use, store, or handle hazardous substances. This includes a wide range of industries and sectors, from manufacturing and construction to healthcare and beauty. Even common cleaning products like bleach are covered under COSHH regulations. It is a legal requirement for employers and self-employed individuals to comply with COSHH regulations to protect workers and the public from the risks associated with hazardous substances.
So, COSHH regulations are a critical part of workplace health and safety in the UK, designed to protect workers from the risks posed by hazardous substances. Compliance involves conducting risk assessments, implementing control measures, providing information and training, and planning for emergencies, among other requirements.
How Acton Safety can help
Acton Safety has a superb record of undertaking COSHH Assessments throughout the UK. Based from our offices in Wrexham, we predominatly cover the North Wales, Wirral and Liverpool areas but of course cover further afield in Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire. However, we also cover the whole of the UK with our wider-team that are located throughout the UK.
If you would like to talk to us, please use our contact form and we’ll contact you.
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