1. C.O.S.H.H

3.  the actions your employer must take to protect your health from the effects of harmful substances  the actions you must take to protect your own health

4.  how harmful substances can get into your body  the effects that harmful substances can have on your health  how to recognise a substance that is harmful to he

5. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH) are regulations to consult when dealing with the storage and handling of potentially hazardous materials or products.

6. The purpose of the COSHH 2002 Regs. Is to safe guard the health of people using or coming in contact with hazardous substances.

7. Whatever your job, you will at some time or another come in contact with hazardous substances in one form or another. Many of the substances used in the construction industry represent a hazard to the health of the people using them:  Cement  Solvents  Resins  Acids alkalis  Mineral oils

8.  Additionally many processes can generate hazardous substances:  Welding  Sanding  Cutting wood, bricks and stone  Painting Your company will need to or already has set up a system for assessing and dealing with hazardous substances on site.

9.  Substance means any natural or artificial substance, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or vapour form and includes micro-organisms.  Hazard is the ability of the substance to cause harm, illness or damage to health.  Risk is the likelihood that the hazardous potential of the substance will be released

10. 1. Know what products or substances you are using. ( Make a list of all substances ) 2. Assess the hazards to health they can cause. ( Assessment ) 3. Eliminate or control the hazard if one exists. ( Control ) 4. Give information, instruction and training to employees. ( inform employees ) 5. Monitor the effectiveness of any controls. ( Monitor ) 6. Keep records. ( Record )

11.  Chemicals  Poisons  Solids such as timber  Liquids  Pesticides –  Acids/Alkalis  Dust - Cement, Gypsum, Wood dust etc.  Gas or Fumes - Welding fumes, Hydrogen Sulphide,  Carbon Monoxide and Nitrous Oxide.

12. 1. Work with asbestos and lead as these are covered by specific regulations 2. Substances that are a hazard solely because they are radioactive, explosive or flammable. 3. Substances that are a hazard solely because they are at a high or low temperature or at high pressure.

13.  On many construction sites, it is common for different contractors to be involved with the building process.  There are main contractors, sub-contractors and self employed people  The main contractor has a legal obligation to their own employees but will have duties to sub-contractors including the self employed person under their control as well as others who mat visit the site.  The main contractor MUST ensure that all these people including the self employed :  Have undertaken their own COSHH assessments in relation to the type of work they carry out.  Have effective arrangements to ensure that control measures are implemented and monitored.

14. This is the most important part of the COSHH Regs. It is in two parts.  Firstly, an employer must not carry out any work which is liable to expose employees to any substance which is hazardous to health, UNLESS they have made a suitable and sufficient assessment of all the risks created by working with the substance.  Secondly, they will need to identify the action to be taken to comply with the remainder of the COSHH Regs The steps to followed are :  Identifying jobs, working processes and procedures which involve the use of, or the generation of, substances that are hazardous to health.  Identify all hazardous substances involved and those that are listed as Very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant

15. Substances which, in very low quantities or low quantities, cause death or acute or chronic damage to health when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed via the skin. Substances which may cause death or acute chronic damage to health when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed via the skin. Substances which may, on contact with living tissue, destroy them. Non- corrosive substances which, through immediate, prolonged or repeated contact with the skin or mucous membrane, may cause inflammation.

16. Employers  After making a detail and comprehensive assessment of all hazardous substance the employer must, make suitable arrangements to prevent or control employees and other people to which they have a legal responsibility, exposure to hazardous substances.  The employer must have procedures in place which will ensure that measures used to control exposure to hazardous substances, including items of PPE, are properly used or applied.  These procedures should include regular inspections of the work place and a system to ensure that, where remedial action is found to necessary, it is promptly tak

17. Employees  Employees have a duty to:  Make full and proper use of any control measure and to wear properly any PPE provided for use.  Take all reasonable steps to return the PPE after use to where it is stored.  Notify and defects at once to their employer

18. These are all common sense measures.  Any work with hazardous substances also requires employees to make every effort to practice a high standard of personal hygiene for example, by:  Removing any protective clothing and washing before eating and drinking  Making use of shower facilities  Store PPE equipment and keep separate from ordinary clothing  Smoking only in designated areas