Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

What is a hazardous substance under COSHH?

 Substances/mixtures classified as dangerous to health under CHIP  Substances with OELs  Biological agents  Any kind of dust in a concentration specified in COSHH  Any other substance which has comparable hazards, but which for technical reasons may not be covered by CHIP

What is not a hazardous substance under COSHH?

 Asbestos & lead (own regulations)  Substances hazardous only because they are:  Radioactive;Simple asphyxiants;At high pressure;At extreme temperatures; or Explosive or flammable (own regulations)  Biological agents not connected with work e.g. catching cold  Normally, the presence of a label (or not) will indicate whether COSHH is relevant

Risk Assessment  Identify the hazardous substances in the workplace  Decide who is at risk and how  Evaluate the risk – are further controls necessary?

 Record the findings  Review & revise when necessary

Prevention/Control of Exposure  Eliminate  Substitute  Engineering Controls  Isolation  Enclosure  Ventilation (including LEV)  Change work methods  Reduce time exposure  PPE  Housekeeping  Instruction, Information, Training

Use of Control Measures  Employees should make proper use of controls and report defects  They must be trained in how to do so

Maintenance of Controls  Keep in efficient working order and good repair  Engineering controls & RPE examined and tested at regular intervals  LEV – 14 months  Retain records for 5 years

Monitoring Exposure  Measure concentrations where assessment concludes that:  Serious risks if controls fail;  Exposure limits may be exceeded;  Control measures may not be working properly  Employees are exposed to certain substances/process in Schedule 5  Records should be kept for 5 years

Health Surveillance  Health surveillance in the following circumstances:  Employees significantly exposed to process in Schedule 6  Employees exposed to substance linked to particular disease or adverse health effect

and

reasonable likelihood of disease/effect occurring

and

possible to detect disease/effect  May be by professional, trained supervisor or self-check  Records kept for 40 years

Information, Instruction & Training  About:  Nature of substances and associated risks   Precautions staff should take Control measures – purpose and how to use them  How to use PPE & clothing  Results of monitoring and health surveillance (without giving names)  Emergency procedures  Controls will not be effective if staff do not know how to use them properly, or the importance of reporting faults

Defence “In any proceedings for an offence consisting of a contravention of these Regulations it shall be a defence for any person to prove that he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of that offence”