What is COSHH? What are my responsibilities?

• COSHH stands for 'Control of Substances Hazardous to Health'. COSHH is a set of regulations put in place to protect workers from ill health when working with specific substances and materials.
• COSHH was introduced to control the exposure of employees to hazardous substances.
• A COSHH assessment concentrates on the hazards and risks from substances in a workplace and aims to answer the following questions:

1. Is the exposure to substances hazardous to health?
2. In what way are the substances harmful to health?
3. What jobs or tasks lead to exposure?
4. Are there any areas of concern?

The British safety council highlights all the responsibilities that we all hold on COSHH laws and regulations:

• Exposure - Employers must prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances. This can include the provision of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary
• Control measures - Implement control measures around hazardous substances and ensure these are maintained and kept up to date, in full working order and clean where appropriate
• Instruction - Provide employees with information, instruction and training around working with hazardous substances
• Procedures - Having procedures in place to deal with accidents and emergencies relating to hazardous substances
• Surveillance - Ensure employees exposed to hazardous substances are under adequate surveillance
• Risk assessments - Carry out COSHH risk assessments.
• Limits - Ensure the use of hazardous substances doesn't exceed the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL).
• Supervision - Check employees are carrying out tasks as they are supposed to.

If the substance you intend to use is not listed in the Teams Link for COSHH, please create a COSHH assessment using our template and email it to your lab manager.