Transcript COSHH - A Guide to the Regulations

COSHH - A Guide to the
Regulations
Mark Mallen
Health and Safety Manager
Fenlock Hansen Ltd
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Introduction
COSHH
 Control
 Of
 Substances
 Hazardous to
 Health

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Introduction
Directly
 Naturally
 By-products
 If exposure is not controlled

– Injuries
– Illness or death
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Objectives
Name 5 potential health effects
 5 employers’ duties and 3 employees’
 Name 5 hazardous substances
 Name 5 routes of entry
 Name 3 means of identifying
substances
 Name and describe 5 hazard symbols
 Describe the hierarchy of control
 Conduct an assessment

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Agenda
Potential health effects
 Legal background
 Hazardous substances
 Routes of entry
 Identifying substances
 Exposure limits
 Controlling risks
 Working safely
 Summary

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Potential Health Effects

Skin problems
– Dermatitis
– Skin cancer

Asthma
– From exposure to sensitisers
Isocyanates
 Dusts

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Potential Health Effects

Poisoning
– By drinking from unlabelled bottles

Cancer
– May appear years after first exposure

Infection
– Exposure to bacteria, spores and micro
organisms
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Potential Health Effects

Short-term - acute effects
– Skin / eye irritation
– Headaches
– Dizziness
– Nausea
– Unconsciousness
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Potential Health Effects

Long-term - chronic effects
– Cancer
– Lung disease
– Liver / kidney dysfunction
– Skin disease
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Potential Health Effects

Intermediate effects
– Physiology
– Symptoms may improve
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Legal Background

The Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations 1999
– A systematic approach to the control of
risk
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Employers' Responsibilities
Assess risks
 Prevent or control exposure
 Decide on precautions
 Ensure controls are used and
maintained
 Monitor exposure, and conduct health
surveillance, where necessary
 Provide adequate supervision
 Provide information, instruction and
training

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Employees' Responsibilities
Follow the rules and safe systems of
work
 Use the controls provided, properly
 Co-operate with monitoring and health
surveillance

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Hazardous Substances

Solvents
De-fat the skin
 Skin disease and dermatitis

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Hazardous Substances

Acids

Burn body tissue
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Hazardous Substances

Gases
Affect the respiratory system
 Lung damage

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Hazardous Substances

Oils and lubricants

Skin disease

Engine fumes

Carbon monoxide poisoning
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Hazardous Substances

Wood dust

Some hardwoods carcinogenic at low
levels
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Hazardous Substances

Asbestos

Can lead to lung cancer
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Hazardous Substances

Welding fume

Metal fume fever

Lead

Poisoning
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Hazardous Substances

Animals

Contact with rat’s urine may cause
Weil’s disease
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Routes of Entry

Inhalation
– Breathing in vapours, gases, fumes or
dusts

Ingestion
– Eating or drinking substances

Absorption
– Skin or eyes
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Routes of Entry

Injection
– Entering the body through the skin

Skin contact
– On
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Routes of Entry - Substances

Solvents
Liquids through the skin
 Vapours through inhalation

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Routes of Entry - Substances

Acids
Skin contact
 Inhalation

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Routes of Entry - Substances

Gases
Inhalation or
 Through the skin

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Routes of Entry - Substances

Petrol
Inhalation
 Absorption
 Skin contact
 Ingestion

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Routes of Entry - Substances

Oils and lubricants

Skin contact

Engine fumes

Inhalation
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Routes of Entry - Substances

Wood dust
Skin contact or
 Inhalation

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Routes of Entry - Substances

Welding fume

Inhalation

Lead

Skin absorption
Inhalation
Ingestion


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Routes of Entry - Substances

Bio hazards
Weil’s disease
 Farmer’s lung
 Injection
 Inhalation
 Ingestion

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Routes of Entry - Substances

In summary
– Many ways to enter the body
– Not always be obvious
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Identifying Substances

Methods
The label
 Product safety data sheet
 COSHH assessment

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Hazard Warning Labels

All commercially supplied substances
are labelled in a standardised way
– To enable easy identification
– Identify type of hazard posed
– Provide some information
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Hazard Warning Labels

The label should state
– The name of the product
– Hazard symbol(s)
– An indication of danger
– Warning (risk phrase)
– Safety advice (safety phrase)
– Manufacturers or suppliers details
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Hazard Warning Labels
Designed to warn
 Advise of action to protect
 Not work instructions
 Always refer to

– The risk assessment
– COSHH assessment
– Safe working practice
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Hazard Warning Labels

Do not assume
– Labels may be missing
– Substances may have been decanted
– May not be hazardous in the form
supplied
– May become hazardous when mixed
– If in doubt, seek advice
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Hazard Warning Labels

Sad but true
– A cleaner mixed Harpic and Domestos
creating chlorine gas, as used in the
trenches in WW1

She died
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Hazard Symbols

Corrosive
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Hazard Symbols

Corrosive
– May cause serious burns
– Minor contact may cause skin damage
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Hazard Symbols

Flammable
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Hazard Symbols

Flammable
– Burns with little heat applied
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Hazard Symbols

Harmful or Irritant - Xn or Xi
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Hazard Symbols

Irritant – Xi
– Non-corrosive
– May cause painful inflammation
– Could lead to dermatitis

Harmful – Xn
– May cause limited health effects
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Hazard Symbols

Oxidising
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Hazard Symbols

Oxidising
– May cause spontaneous combustion
– In contact with other substances
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Hazard Symbols

Toxic / Very Toxic
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Hazard Symbols

Very toxic
– Extremely serious acute or chronic health
effects or even death

Toxic
– Serious acute or chronic health effects or
even death
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Hazard Symbols

Risk of Explosion
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Hazard Symbols

Environmental Hazard
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Risk Phrase

States the hazard of the material
– ‘Harmful by inhalation’
– ‘Toxic if swallowed’
– ‘Highly flammable’
– ‘Irritating to eyes’
– ‘May cause drowsiness’
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Safety Phrase

States what precautions should be
taken
– ‘In case of insufficient ventilation, wear
suitable respiratory equipment’
– ‘Keep container tightly closed’
– ‘Avoid contact with skin and eyes’
– ‘No smoking’
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Material Data Sheets

Describes the characteristics of
the substance in 16 categories:
1.
Identification of the substance and
company
Composition / information on
ingredients
Hazards
2.
3.
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Material Data Sheets
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
First-aid measures
Fire-fighting measures
Accidental release measures
Handling and storage
Exposure controls / personal
protection
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Material Data Sheets
9.
10.
11.
12.
Physical and chemical properties
Stability and reactivity
Toxicological information
Ecological information
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Material Data Sheets
13.
14.
15.
16.
Disposal considerations
Transport information
Regulatory information
Other information
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Material Data Sheets
Used to complete a COSHH (risk)
assessment
 It is not a replacement
 Or substitute

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Exposure Limits
Some substances pose a significant
risk to health
 Controlled by specific legislation
– Asbestos
– Lead
– Not the COSHH regulations

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Exposure Limits
Some substances have exposure limits
 MEL, STEL & OEL
 Stated in EH40 - current addition
 These levels are important when
assessing health risks

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Controlling Risks

Hazard
– A substance with the potential to cause
harm

Risk
– A measure of the likelihood that it will
cause harm in the way that it is used
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Controlling Risks
Remember
– The hazard is constant
 Risk changes
– How it is used
– How much is used
– Handled
– Stored

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Controlling Risks

Poor control can create a risk
– Even if the substance is not particularly
hazardous

With proper precautions
– The most hazardous substances can be
controlled
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Risk Assessment

A COSHH assessment is an
examination of the risk posed by
– The substance
– How it is used
– The amount of exposure

Resulting in
– Control measures and safe working
practices
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Practical Exercise 1

Scenario 1
– A chemical is used as part of an
adhesive spray
– The operator uses it all day
– Spraying door panels on a
production line, before a covering is
applied
– A 200-litre drum lasts a week
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Practical Exercise 1

Scenario 2
– An operator has a container with
500ml of solvent
– Used to wipe off excess adhesive,
after the covering is applied
– The container lasts about a week
before it needs refilling
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Practical Exercise 1
 Scenario
3
– Using a solvent-based marker pen
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Practical Exercise 1

Decide on a risk rating for using the
above substances

Consider the situations described and
consider the control measures required
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Practical Exercise 1

For the operative spraying door panels
– Local exhaust ventilation
– Respiratory protective equipment
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Practical Exercise 1

For the operative using solvent to
clean-off
– Gloves
– Good ventilation
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Practical Exercise 1

Using a marker pen
– None considered necessary
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Hierarchy of Control
Elimination / Substitution
 Reduction
 Enclose the process
 Engineered methods
 PPE


Underpinned by supervision
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PPE

Often the only effective means of
control
– Suitable for the hazard
– Looked after and maintained
– Suitable for the users
– Used by trained workers
– Worn when specified
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Control Systems

Employers must
– Maintain, examine and test
– Monitor exposure levels
– Conduct health surveillance
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Emergency Procedures
 Exposure
from accidental releases
 Vital that everybody knows what to
do
 Clean-up procedures
 Evacuation procedures
 Liaison with emergency services
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The Hansen Method
 Task-based
assessments
 Tasks may use more than one
substance
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Practical Exercise 2
Conduct an assessment
 Using a hazard data sheet for a
substance that we use in the
workplace

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Working Safely

Operatives
– Ensure that you see the COSHH
assessment and SWP

Before you start
– Follow the SWP and COSHH assessment
– Use the control measures provided
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Working Safely
– Wear the PPE
– Co-operate with monitoring and health
surveillance
– Report problems
– Work in a safe and responsible manner
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Working Safely

Managers and supervisors
– Conduct and review assessments
– Issue and make available
– Discuss contents
– Record issue and training given
– Ensure changes are reflected
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Working Safely
– Ensure control measures are
 Maintained
 Continue to be effective
 Are used
– Deal with concerns
– Provide information, instruction and
training
– Supervise
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Summary
COSHH is designed to protect people
 Providing information
 Assessing risk
 Controlling exposure
 Ensuring controls are suitable

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Objectives
Name 5 potential health effects
 5 employers’ duties and 3 employees’
 Name 5 hazardous substances
 Name 5 routes of entry
 Name 3 means of identifying
substances
 Name and describe 5 hazard symbols
 Describe the hierarchy of control
 Conduct an assessment

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The End or the Beginning?
Any Questions
 Thanks for Listening
 And don’t forget
 Be Safe!

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