What is COSHH and who must comply?

Everyday work can create hazardous exposure

COSHH is relevant beyond chemical factories. Cleaning, wet work and processes that generate fumes, dust or other harmful substances can require assessment and controls.

HSE’s official COSHH guidance identifies the GB 2002 regulations. HSENI explains COSHH NI 2003. Check the applicable framework for the work rather than using one year or regulation name across the UK.

1. Identify products and substances generated by the work

HSE’s substance-scope guidance includes chemicals and chemical products, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases and relevant biological agents. A hazard label can help identify a product hazard, while some work-generated exposure has no bottle or supplier label.

HSE identifies lead, asbestos and radioactive substances as having their own specific regimes. Their exclusion from COSHH is not permission to ignore or handle them without the required precautions.

2. Establish the relevant responsibilities

Employers need to assess hazardous exposure, decide suitable measures, provide information and training, and make sure controls work. Identify who owns those actions and obtain competent help where the work requires it.

HSE explains conditional COSHH responsibilities for self-employed people, including work involving employees or taking substances to other people’s premises. Do not assume sole-trader status is an automatic exemption or that every provision applies identically in every case. Use the separate NI guidance for local duties.

Workers need to follow the agreed methods and controls and report difficulties or defects. Clear instruction should explain the actual task, not merely tell staff to read a file.

3. Turn the assessment into working controls

HSE’s exposure-control guidance combines suitable control equipment, work methods, supervision, training and proper use. Start by considering prevention and reduction of exposure, then choose the combination needed for the actual work.

• Identify the substances and the tasks that expose people.
• Obtain product and process information and assess who could be harmed and how.
• Decide suitable prevention or exposure controls.
• Explain and implement the method, including relevant emergency arrangements.
• Maintain and check the controls, and identify any additional monitoring or health-surveillance duties with suitable advice.
• Review changes or evidence that the arrangement is no longer adequate.

Worked example: a cleaner used differently

Hypothetical example. A small business changes from handling closed containers to preparing working solutions at a busy wash-up area. The product information remains relevant, but the task now needs review for quantities, handling, people nearby and possible exposure.

The business checks whether the method can prevent or reduce contact, establishes appropriate controls and explains the changes. A small workforce does not remove the need to assess the health risk.

• Only labelled bottles considered. Include relevant process-generated substances.
• An SDS folder treated as the whole assessment. Assess the work and exposure.
• Protection selected without the task. Use a suitable combined control approach.
• Exclusions treated as exemptions from safety. Follow the relevant specialist regime.

Next steps

1. Identify the substances, processes and people affected.
2. Confirm the GB or NI duties and responsible roles.
3. Assess exposure and implement suitable controls and instruction.
4. Check effectiveness and review changes.

Check HSE’s COSHH scope guidance — Use the official substance and exclusion guidance as part of identifying the correct duties.