Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

What is the meaning of COSHH in health?

The occupational use of nanomaterials is regulated under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health and includes nanomaterials.

What is the main purpose of COSHH?

What is COSHH for? The objective of COSHH is to prevent, or to adequately control, exposure to substances hazardous to health, so as to prevent ill health.

What is an example of COSHH?

Identify the hazards – Identify which substances are harmful by reading the product labels and safety data sheets (SDS). If in doubt, contact your supplier. Think about harmful substances produced by your processes, such as cutting or grinding, or to which workers may be otherwise exposed. Examples include:

processes that emit dust, fume, vapour, mist or gas skin contact with liquids, pastes and dusts

Substances with workplace exposure limits (WELs) are hazardous to health.

What does COSHH stand for and what does it mean?

What COSHH is – The law requires you to adequately control exposure to materials in the workplace that cause ill health. This is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).

What chemicals are covered by COSHH?

Hazardous Substances – It might seem obvious from the name, but the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations cover hazardous substances. That all seems to make sense, but what makes a substance hazardous? “hazard”, in relation to a substance, means the intrinsic property of that substance which has the potential to cause harm to the health of a person, and “hazardous” shall be construed accordingly; If the properties of a substance, in any form, could cause harm to a person, then it is hazardous and will need to be assessed under the COSHH regulations.

• Chemicals
• Products containing chemicals
• Fumes
• Vapours
• Mist
• Dust
• Gases
• Nanotechnology
• Biological agents
• Germs that cause diseases

It’s worth noting here that some very hazardous substances such as asbestos, lead and radioactive substances are covered under their own separate regulations. While these are classified as hazardous substances, they don’t come under COSHH as more specific requirements are needed.

1. which is listed in Part I of the approved supply list as dangerous for supply within the meaning of the CHIP Regulations and for which an indication of danger specified for the substance is very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant;
2. for which the Health and Safety Commission has approved a maximum exposure limit or an occupational exposure standard;
3. which is a biological agent;
4. which is dust of any kind, except dust which is a substance within paragraph (a) or (b) above, when present at a concentration in air equal to or greater than—
   • (i) 10 mg/m3, as a time-weighted average over an 8-hour period, of inhalable dust, or
   • (ii) 4 mg/m3, as a time-weighted average over an 8-hour period, of respirable dust;
5. which, not being a substance falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d), because of its chemical or toxicological properties and the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk to health;

The COSHH regulations apply to a wide range of substances and mixtures. This includes substances classified as toxic and harmful, those given a workplace exposure limit (WEL), biological agents, hazardous dust, and any dust when present in hazardous quantities.

It also includes any other substance where the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a health risk. It’s important to assess your work and identify which substances could harm your health – you might be surprised. For example, in some workplaces, even water can come under COSHH. Yes, water! It’s not a hazardous substance, but if your work means having your hands wet for a long time or frequently wet during the day, this can irritate your skin leading to dermatitis.

So the substance isn’t necessarily hazardous, but the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk to health, You can find out more about COSHH in our blog post about why COSHH is important in your workplace,

What is the first principle of COSHH?

What is COSHH? 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. Hazardous substances can take many forms and include:

chemicals products containing chemicals fumes dusts vapours mists nanotechnology 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.

To download our FREE COSHH Management Policy and Assessment Form CLICK HERE : What is COSHH?

What is a COSHH risk assessment?

A COSHH assessment is a health and safety document required by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. It is a type of risk assessment specifically for the use or production of a hazardous substance. A COSHH assessment is needed to identify the hazards and to assess and control the risks.

1. An employer shall not carry out work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he has—
   1. made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of those employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations; and
   2. implemented the steps referred to in sub-paragraph (a).

Since you can find hazardous substances in nearly every different kind of business, your workplace should likely have COSHH assessments in place. Hazardous dust, fuels, inks, paints, chemical and everyday cleaning products can all be a risk to your health. A wide variety of hazardous substances need to be COSHH assessed, including chemicals, mixtures, biological agents, dust and fumes. Any substances that create a health risk because of their properties and how you use them need to be assessed.

What is the toxic symbol for COSHH?

Toxicity – The symbol used to identify a substance that is toxic is a skull and crossbones. A ‘toxic’ symbol warns that a substance can cause severe damage to health, even at low levels. It can be toxic or even fatal if the substance is swallowed, inhaled or simply comes into contact with a person’s bare skin.

Who is responsible for COSHH assessment?

What are COSHH responsibilities? – The employer has the overall responsibility for COSHH in the workplace. A competent person can help you, but they are still your responsibility -asking someone to help you won’t change that. So you should have systems and checks in place to make sure it gets done.

1. An employer shall not carry out work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he has—
   1. made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of those employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations;

Once you have assessed the hazardous substances, controls need to be in place to protect employees from exposure. Get more details for employers in COSHH responsibilities for employers and employees, Employees also have duties under COSHH. Your employees are not expected to assess or control exposure to hazardous substances.

Every employee shall make full and proper use of any control measure, other thing or facility provided in accordance with these Regulations

However, remember, it is the employer who is responsible for COSHH. Employees have to comply with the COSHH measures that employers put in place. But the employer is responsible for providing employees with the information they need, and for putting the necessary controls and procedures in place.

Which three substances are not covered by COSHH?

What does it cover? – COSHH covers chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists and gases, and biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance. COSHH also covers asphyxiating gases.

Are cleaning products covered by COSHH?

Instruction, information, training and supervision – All staff who use cleaning products should attend a COSHH awareness session to understand the hazards and risks involved. The use of appropriate PPE should also be covered.

What are the 4 types of hazardous substances?

What is a hazardous substance? – The term hazardous substance refers to any product or chemical that has properties that are explosive, flammable, oxidising, toxic, corrosive or toxic to the environment.

Explosive – explodes or causes explosion. Flammable – ignites easily and burns rapidly. Oxidising – could be gaseous, solid or liquid and can cause or intensify fire and explosion. Toxic – can harm people if it enters the body through contact, being inhaled or ingested. The effects can range from mild to life threatening, and can be immediate or long term. Corrosive – can cause severe skin burns and eye damage. Ecotoxic – is toxic to the environment.

The definition of ‘substance’ is provided in Section 2 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (external link), Hazardous substances are an integral part of modern society. They are found across a wide range of industries, including:

agrichemicals used in primary production fuels that run our transport fleet explosives for mining and quarrying solvents and other general chemicals used in manufacturing cleaning solutions that are critical for safe food production, and speciality chemicals that underpin research and development.

By their very nature hazardous substances can be extremely dangerous. Used safely they contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity. Used incorrectly they can cause catastrophic accidents, such as fires and explosions, and serious harm to people who are exposed to them.

Do all chemicals require a COSHH assessment?

Are COSHH assessments a legal requirement? The short answer is, yes. This type of assessment is required by law under not one, but two pieces of legislation. That could mean double the trouble if you don’t comply! You may have heard of COSHH. As a quick recap, COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.

Since almost all organisations will buy, use or produce hazardous substances, from cleaning solutions to highly toxic chemicals, everyone should know about the implications of COSHH at work. Want to know more about what substances come under COSHH? Find out in what substances does COSHH cover? Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH Regulations), COSHH assessments are required by law, for any substances that are hazardous to health.

So, the use (or production) of any substances hazardous to health (including liquids, dust, fumes etc) requires assessment under the regulations. Regulation 6 outlines the requirement for COSHH assessment, specific to substances that are hazardous to health.

An employer shall not carry out work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he has—

made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of those employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations

Under the COSHH regulations, the need to carry out COSHH assessment is specifically detailed. You can’t carry out work that exposes your employees to hazardous substances unless you have assessed the risk first. Another set of regulations also applies to the need to carry out a COSHH assessment.

So better make double sure we do one! In addition to the COSHH regulations and the specific requirement to carry out a COSHH assessment, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) also apply. The MHSWR require a risk assessment to be carried out for any risks to the health and safety of employees or other persons.

This risk assessment is a process of identifying hazardous and evaluating the risk levels and control measures needed. Learn more about the law and risk assessments, in the blog post, are risk assessments a legal requirement? Since hazardous substances (as the name suggests) present a hazard that can result in risks to the health and safety of employees or other persons, the requirement to carry out a COSHH risk assessment would also come under MHSWR.

The risk assessment shall include consideration of—

the hazardous properties of the substance; information on health effects provided by the supplier, including information contained in any relevant safety data sheet; the level, type and duration of exposure; the circumstances of the work, including the amount of the substance involved; activities, such as maintenance, where there is the potential for a high level of exposure; any relevant occupational exposure standard, maximum exposure limit or similar occupational exposure limit; the effect of preventive and control measures which have been or will be taken in accordance with regulation 7; the results of relevant health surveillance; the results of monitoring of exposure in accordance with regulation 10; in circumstances where the work will involve exposure to more than one substance hazardous to health, the risk presented by exposure to such substances in combination; the approved classification of any biological agent; and such additional information as the employer may need in order to complete the risk assessment.

The COSHH regulations give more information on the things to consider when assessing hazardous substances. You’re still creating a risk assessment when you produce a COSHH assessment. A COSHH assessment is a risk assessment that is created to assess the risk of a hazardous substance.

What are the 4 types of hazardous substances?

What is a hazardous substance? – The term hazardous substance refers to any product or chemical that has properties that are explosive, flammable, oxidising, toxic, corrosive or toxic to the environment.

Explosive – explodes or causes explosion. Flammable – ignites easily and burns rapidly. Oxidising – could be gaseous, solid or liquid and can cause or intensify fire and explosion. Toxic – can harm people if it enters the body through contact, being inhaled or ingested. The effects can range from mild to life threatening, and can be immediate or long term. Corrosive – can cause severe skin burns and eye damage. Ecotoxic – is toxic to the environment.

The definition of ‘substance’ is provided in Section 2 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (external link), Hazardous substances are an integral part of modern society. They are found across a wide range of industries, including:

agrichemicals used in primary production fuels that run our transport fleet explosives for mining and quarrying solvents and other general chemicals used in manufacturing cleaning solutions that are critical for safe food production, and speciality chemicals that underpin research and development.

By their very nature hazardous substances can be extremely dangerous. Used safely they contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity. Used incorrectly they can cause catastrophic accidents, such as fires and explosions, and serious harm to people who are exposed to them.

What does COSHH mean for risk assessment?

A COSHH assessment is a health and safety document required by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. It is a type of risk assessment specifically for the use or production of a hazardous substance. A COSHH assessment is needed to identify the hazards and to assess and control the risks.

1. An employer shall not carry out work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he has—
   1. made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of those employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations; and
   2. implemented the steps referred to in sub-paragraph (a).

Since you can find hazardous substances in nearly every different kind of business, your workplace should likely have COSHH assessments in place. Hazardous dust, fuels, inks, paints, chemical and everyday cleaning products can all be a risk to your health. A wide variety of hazardous substances need to be COSHH assessed, including chemicals, mixtures, biological agents, dust and fumes. Any substances that create a health risk because of their properties and how you use them need to be assessed.

What are chronic health effects of COSHH?

Chronic effects: Longer term damage such as cancer, heart disease or liver damage are called chronic effects. They may take a long time to develop. For example it can be 30 years after initial exposure to some cancer- causing chemicals before the illness becomes apparent.

Who should explain the COSHH assessment?

Does my employer have to provide me with a copy of the COSHH assessment? – Employers must provide information about the hazards, risks and control measures, and instruction and training to use the control measures. All employers must carry out a risk assessment and those employing five or more employees must also record significant findings.

Jack Gloop