CART What Is A COSHH Assessment?
What Is A COSHH Assessment?
A COSHH assessment is a form produced for any substance with which people come into contact at the workplace. The assessment is to determine whether the substance may be damaging to their health, and the COSHH acronym stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
What Substances Require A COSHH Assessment?
One key element in deciding what substances need a COSHH assessment is understanding what the regulations define as a substance. These include chemicals, liquids, fumes, vapours, dust, gases, bacteria, viruses, and even nanoparticles. Additionally, it is essential to note that substances considered safe and inert still require a COSHH assessment if they are substances that people may encounter in the workplace. It is only by assessing a substance that we determine if it poses any potential hazards. A substance is considered hazardous if it can harm a person's health. Here's a brief description of some substance categories:
- Chemicals: Everything is a chemical, so for this category, we are focusing on liquid or powdered substances such as dried chilli powder, powder coatings, cleaning products, adhesives, paints, bleach, and thinners.
- Fumes: These include any fumes that employees may encounter, such as paint fumes, exhaust fumes, welding fumes, and smoke.
- Vapours: Although vapours and fumes may seem the same, they are separate substances. One of the most common workplace vapours is solvent vapour, which is released from substances such as paints or adhesives.
- Dust: Dust is a common hazardous substance found in many workplaces. It may be created from wood, metal, rubber or stone. Dust is considered hazardous because it may contain microscopic droplets of liquid or solid particles that can cause health problems, particularly in the lungs.
- Gases: Hazardous gases include carbon monoxide or chlorine, which, when exposed for a certain amount of time, can be extremely toxic. Other types of gases that would be considered hazardous include those that are flammable, toxic, or corrosive.
- Germs (That Cause Diseases): In this instance, COSHH covers any germs that cause diseases or germs used within laboratories. These germs may cause diseases such as Legionnaires' disease and leptospirosis.
- Other substances that COSHH covers include mists, nanotechnology, and biological agents.
Yet surprisingly, not all hazardous substances are covered by COSHH, as some substances had specific regulations in place before the implementation of the 2002 COSHH Regulations. These include:
- Asbestos - Although asbestos is a hazardous substance and a form of dust, it does not require a COSHH assessment as it is covered by the ‘The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012’.
- Lead is a very dangerous substance, with unique dangers and regulations in place to prevent unnecessary injury.
- Radioactive Substances:Although radioactive substances such as radium and radon are not common, they have their own regulations to follow, such as ‘The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017’ and ‘The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016’.
Conducting COSHH assessments enables employers to identify which products and substances pose a potential risk. This enables an employer to design and implement control measures, which is essential, as in most work environments, people use hazardous substances daily; therefore, procedures and control measures must be in place to prevent unnecessary injury and harm. A COSHH assessment is a legal requirement for any business where employees come into contact with substances that may cause harm, or for companies that create new substances in the working environment. The assessment must demonstrate how to mitigate or minimise potential harm to an acceptable level.
How To Write A COSHH Assessment
- Company name and project name: At the top of your COSHH assessment, you must provide your company name and the project name (e.g., a school or community centre) to make it clear to any reader what the assessment is for.
- Substance/Material Underneath the company name, you need to detail the substance or material for which you are writing the assessment, such as cement.
- Manufacturers Details: Next, record the manufacturer's name, address, and contact number for the company that produced the substance or material.
- Product contents: This is the product's hazard identification, and you need to write down the hazards identified on the product's Safety Data Sheet that are deemed dangerous to health.
- Exposure limits: An exposure limit is a regulatory value indicating the maximum level of exposure to a hazardous substance in the air considered safe for workers. If there is an exposure limit, this is a crucial detail that must be recorded.
- Where has the product been used? In the next section, please specify the environment in which the product was used. The options usually include outside, inside, well-ventilated, inside, poorly ventilated, or confined space.
- How have the products been used? You need to clarify the process in which the product was used, such as mixing, pouring, spraying, brushing, applying with a tool, or applying by hand.
- Product State: You need to record the product's state, which refers to whether it is in solid, liquid, or gas form.
- Hazard Symbols: The next stage involves identifying the relevant hazard symbols associated with the material or product being used.
For more information on the hazard symbols and their definitions, click here. - PPE: Record the relevant PPE that must be worn when using this material or product. At this point, it is also important to specify whether different PPE should be worn when the product is used in various environments.
- When is the product hazardous to health? Each product is unique and may not become hazardous until it is placed under specific conditions, such as high temperatures. At this stage in the COSHH health and safety document, you need to record when the product is hazardous and the health risks, including medical conditions that can be aggravated or worsened by exposure to the product.
- First Aid and Emergency Measures: Identify the relevant first aid procedures to follow and explain how to implement them in an emergency. This is important so that the person using the material knows what to do if one of the risks becomes a reality.
- Fire details: If the product were in a fire, what would happen? Is it flammable or explosive? Would the product or its container emit toxic gases or smoke? What is the correct extinguisher method, and are there any special precautions firefighters need to take?
- Sign off: The final stage of the COSHH Assessment is to sign and date the document.
Is A COSHH Assessment the Same As A Risk Assessment?
Numerous documents are available to assist companies in working safely and complying with health and safety regulations. However, determining which documents are relevant to specific processes and requirements can be challenging, leading to confusion about the distinction between COSHH assessments and risk assessments.
So, are COSHH assessments and risk assessments the same? Put, No. They each aim to reduce workplace risk, but while a COSHH assessment specifically addresses substances that employees may encounter, a risk assessment addresses physical and environmental issues.
Method statements are not a legal requirement, but have become the expected norm, especially in high-risk industries such as construction. The advantage of a method statement is that it will list any COSHH or risk assessments relevant to carrying out a task safely.
- Method Statement: The method statement is a safe work system that outlines which COSHH and risk assessments must be reviewed before commencing a task.
- Risk Assessment: Lists the potential risks and control measures a person may encounter while carrying out a task. An example of a risk is the wind factor when carrying sheet materials, with the control measure being not to carry sheet materials over certain wind speeds.
- COSHH Assessment: In addition to the above, the sheet material may produce dust when handled, which would be a substance risk rather than an environmental risk.
What Are COSHH Regulations?
The COSHH regulations were established to control workplace exposure to hazardous substances and are enforced under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They oblige employers to take proactive measures to manage and mitigate risks associated with hazardous substances.
COSHH regulations cover a wide range of substances, and employers must identify these substances and understand the potential health risks employees may face when coming into contact with them. This involves consulting safety data sheets, understanding labelling, and being aware of any additional documentation that might provide insight into the hazardous nature of the substances used or produced in the workplace.
Employers must conduct COSHH assessments to identify potential hazards and evaluate the severity and likelihood of harm. They must then implement appropriate control measures to eliminate or significantly reduce risks to an acceptable level. These measures include substituting hazardous substances with safer alternatives or employing engineering controls such as ventilation systems.
In addition to implementing control measures, COSHH regulations require employers to ensure that all employees receive adequate training and information about the hazards they may encounter. This includes understanding how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly and knowing safe working practices to minimise exposure.
Employers are also required to engage in health surveillance if there is a likelihood that employees could be exposed to health risks. Regular monitoring and health checks help identify any adverse effects at an early stage, allowing for timely interventions.
Involving employees in the process allows them to gain first-hand experience with hazardous substances, provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of existing control measures, and highlight areas needing improvement.
Also, employees are responsible for several COSHH regulations, including:
- Assisting co-workers in creating a safe work environment
- Following procedures • Wearing correct PPE
- Reporting any incidents, including accidents, spillages and breakages
- Attending medical check-ups if and when required
- Using cleaning materials and showering facilities provided by employers in line with workplace procedures
- Keeping up to date by attending relevant training
