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On Safe Lines Free Advice on COSHH Health Risks and Management to Help You Manage Your Health and Safety Responsibilities -
What is COSHH?
The COSHH regulations are about the handling of chemicals in the workplace.
The COSHH regulations are about protecting the employee and therefore, by default will also protect the employer.
Hazardous substances used in the workplace will and often have caused harm to the health of employees and others not directly associated with the activities, where exposure has not been properly controlled. Exposure may cause short or long-term health problems. It can be many years before symptoms become apparent, and even more difficult to relate them back to an individual’s historical work activities. It never ceases to amaze me, the macho attitude builders have toward tasks such as cutting stone, and it’s often a case of spot the facemask. In 10-years time, it may well be a case of spot the man with serious lung problems.
The COSHH Regulations themselves cover a surprisingly large spectrum of substances, and not all are man-made and many are the result of processes applied to inert materials (i.e. drilling operations). A few common examples are listed below.
- Oils and greases.
- Glues and adhesives.
- Paints and varnishes.
- Petrol and diesel.
- Cleaning materials.
- Sand and cement.
- Substances generated during work activities (eg fumes from soldering and welding or dust from grinding.
- Naturally occurring substances (eg grain dust);
- Sewage and effluent.
- Pigeon excrement.
and many, many other substances.
Examples of the effects of hazardous substances include:
- skin irritation or dermatitis as a result of skin contact,
- asthma as a result of developing allergy to substances used at work,
- losing consciousness as a result of being overcome by toxic fumes,
- cancer, which may appear long after the exposure to the chemical that caused it, and
- infection from bacteria and other micro-organisms (biological agents).
A COSHH material safety data sheet should be supplied with any hazardous substance at its delivery location. T sheet should always be available to all members of staff and others who may require to handle, move or use the hazardous substance, etc.
What is COSHH
The material safety data sheet contains guidelines on what should be done if the hazardous substance accidentally comes into contact with your skin, your eyes, or is ingested orally or possibly absorbed through the skin. It will also include other safety precautions such as what to do about spillages or leaks. Warning labels will be used to classify the types of hazard, such as irritant, flammable, very flammable, toxic, very toxic, corrosive, explosive, sensitising, dangerous to the environment, etc.
The COSHH Regulations apply to virtually all substances hazardous to health. Exceptions include asbestos and lead (which have their own regulations) and substances, which are hazardous only because they are radioactive or an asphyxiant.
COSHH requires the following.
- assessment of the risks. (COSHH risk assessment)
- deciding what precautions are needed.
- prevention or control of the risks.
- ensuring that control measures are used and maintained.
- monitoring exposure and health surveillance, where necessary, and,
- informing instructing and training employees about the risks and precautions needed.
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