1. COSHH

2. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
COSHH
Control of
Substances
Hazardous to
Health

3. COSHH
Comprehensive regulations for the control of all substances hazardous to health at work.
First legislated 1988
Updated 1999
Updated 2002
COSHH 2002 more prescriptive

4. WHO DOES COSHH APPLY TO?
All people who are exposed to risks to health immediate or delayed.
Except where specific regulations apply:
Specific regulations cover, for example: asbestos, lead, ionising radiation, coal mining and others
See also new DSEAR Regulations:
explosives, flammables, pressurised systems
Course of medical treatment
Direct social contact

5. WHAT IS A SUBSTANCE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH?
A substance is hazardous to health if:
It has a OEL or MEL – never exceed
GUIDANCE NOTE EH40/2005 for OELs (HSE)
It carries a hazard warning under CHIP regulations e.g. toxic, harmful, irritant, mutagenic etc.

6. OEL OEL – occupational exposure limit
EH40/2005 Occupational exposure limits – documentation on HSE website
Exposure to a substance is uptake into the body. The exposure routes are:
By breathing fumes, dust, gas or mist.
By skin contact.
By injection into the skin.
By swallowing.

7. WHAT IS A SUBSTANCE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH?
A substance is hazardous to health if:
It has a OEL or MEL – never exceed
GUIDANCE NOTE EH40/2005 for OELs
It carries a hazard warning under CHIP regulations e.g. toxic, harmful, irritant etc.

8. HAZARD WARNING SYMBOLS

9. INTERNATIONAL HAZARD SYMBOLS
International symbols are replacing the CHIP/European symbol (orange & black)
Many of them very similar to the European symbols minus the word describing the hazard
UK – CHIP (2009) regs are currently being replaced by new regulations called Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP Regulations)
This change is a result of the UN countries and EU agreeing on a new classification system
The outcome is the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, known as GHS
Designed to promoted trade and reduce multiple standards

10. New hazard warning pictograms

11. CHIP/CLP - COMPARISON More of this later Dangerous to the environment;
Toxic;
Gas under pressure;
Corrosive;
Explosive;
Flammable;
Caution - used for less serious health hazards like skin irritation;
Oxidising; and
Longer term health hazards such as carcinogenicity and respiratory sensitisation.
More of this later

12. MSDS/INFORMATION Labels www.hse.gov.uk
Find this information in MSDS
Manufacturer must make MSDS available
Sent with the material
Catalogues
Website e.g. hazard.com
Labels
COSHH Essentials now available online.
Look at MSDS and see for yourself how much information there is on them.

13. INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM R & S PHRASES
RISK R38 irritating to skin R46 May cause heritable genetic damage
SAFETY S25 avoid contact with eyes
S30 Never add water to this product
See course notes for complete list

14. SPECIAL CONCERNS HIGHLIGHTED IN COSHH 2002
Substances causing skin disorders
Substances causing asthma
Asphyxiants
Carcinogens
Biological agents
Ability to cause infection
Severity of disease
Risk to community
Availability of vaccines and effective treatment

15. OTHER HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
Dust
10mg/m3 total inhalable air
Any other substance which creates comparable risk

16. ASSESSMENT Suitable and sufficient
Carry out risk assessment before commencing task
Evaluate risk to health
RISK = HAZARD x EXPOSURE
Hazard = potential to cause harm
Risk = likelihood of harm occurring

17. ASSESSMENT
Review if no longer valid or significant changes in the work
Done by someone with a thorough understanding of the work, the practices and the people
Not me?

18. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
COSHH now much more prescriptive
What substances are present?
What are the harmful effects?
Where and how used, handled etc.?
Who could be affected?
Quantity involved and exposure time?
How likely is exposure?

19. CONTROL OF RISK HIERARCY OF STEPS
Work through
Elimination
Substitution
Total enclosure
Partial enclosure – LEV
e.g. fume hood
General ventilation

20. CONTROL HIERARCY OF STEPS CONT’D
Limit number of people exposed
Limit time of exposure to substance
Protective clothing – PPE
N.B. PPE REGULATIONS IN “SIX PACK”
*ELIMINATION RATHER THAN CONTROL

21. WHAT IS ADEQUATE CONTROL?
If there is an MEL do not exceed - get as far below as reasonably possible
If there is an OEL, meet that standard. If exceeded identify reasons and remedy the situation ASAP
Regulation 8
All control measures to be used or applied
Regulation 9
Properly maintained
Tested (LEV 14 months)
PPE
Maintenance records must be kept

22. MONITORING OF CONTROLS
REGULATION 10
Monitoring of controls
Where serious health risk
To ensure MEL or OEL not exceeded
REGULATION 11
Health Surveillance
Employee’s health including medical surveillance
Biological monitoring
Records – kept at least 40 years

23. REGULATION 12 COMMUNICATE/CONSULT Information Instruction Training
Risks
Precautions
Results of monitoring
Results of health surveillance

24. UNLUCKY FOR SOME REGULATION 13
Arrangements for accidents, incidents and emergencies

25. SUMMARY Reg 6 Assessment Reg 7 Prevention of exposure - control
Reg 8 Ensure control measures are used
Reg 9 Maintain, examine, test control measures
Reg 10 Monitor exposure
Reg 11 Health surveillance
Reg 12 Inform, instruct, train
Reg 13 Emergency procedures

26. STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Never mix different chemical together

27. Never decant chemical to unlabelled or wrongly labelled containers

28. Toxic chemicals – store in locked cupboard

29. Flammable materials should not be stored with oxidising chemicals

30. Gas cylinders secured in storage area outside building

31. Abide by regulations when disposing of waste material

32. DID THESE MAKE THE HEADLINES?!
Father dies after accidentally drinking from Lucozade bottle filled with weed killer 
Explosion at U. Maryland: Another Nitric Acid Oopsie!
Fuming waste container dropped by lab technician!
Researcher Blinded in One Eye from Cryotube Explosion

33. BE SAFE