What is COSHH and What are its Regulations?

Hazardous substances are common in most workplaces, mostly because many things all around us can potentially cause harm, from computer screens to a poorly maintained buildings with harmful, cancerous substances present.

These hazardous substances in workplaces need to be controlled, and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulation sets out to do just that. In this content piece, we will be discussing these regulations and what they entail.

[edit] What are Hazardous Substances?

Hazardous substances are materials that are potentially dangerous or harmful to human health or the environment. They can be found in a variety of workplaces, including factories, construction sites, laboratories, and offices. Examples of hazardous substances include:

1. Chemicals: These can include solvents, acids, bases, and other substances used in cleaning, manufacturing, or laboratory processes.
2. Asbestos: This is a fibrous mineral that was once commonly used in construction materials, but is now known to be a carcinogen.
3. Biological agents: These can include bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that can cause illness or disease.
4. Radioactive materials: These can include materials used in medical or scientific research, or the production of nuclear energy.
5. Compressed gases: These can include gases used in welding or other industrial processes, and can be flammable, toxic, or corrosive.

Employers have a responsibility to identify and control any hazardous substances present in their workplace, and to provide appropriate training and protective equipment to employees who may be exposed to these substances.

According to statistics on health and safety at work, the UK estimates that:

• There were 12,000 annual deaths due to current or past exposure to hazardous substances
• Around 19,000 self-reported cases of breathing or lung problems due to work or exacerbated because of it over three years
• In 2020, there were a total of 2,544 deaths due to Mesothelioma, a disease mainly caused by asbestos exposure

[edit] What is COSHH?

These regulations are a set of laws in the UK that require employers to control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. The regulations apply to all types of hazardous substances, including chemicals, biological agents, and radioactive materials.

Under the COSHH regulations, employers have a legal duty to:

1. Assess the risks to workers from hazardous substances, and decide what precautions are needed.
2. Implement control measures to prevent or reduce exposure to hazardous substances, such as using ventilation systems or providing protective clothing.
3. Provide information, instruction, and training to workers on the safe use of hazardous substances.
4. Keep records of the risk assessments and control measures taken.
5. Monitor the exposure of workers to hazardous substances, and take any necessary corrective action.

The COSHH regulations also require employers to provide appropriate first aid and emergency procedures in case of accidental exposure to hazardous substances.

[edit] Duty Holders Under COSHH

Under the COSHH regulations the ‘duty holder’ is the person or organization responsible for ensuring that the necessary precautions are taken to control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace.

In general, the duty holder is the employer, but there may be other duty holders in a workplace, depending on the specific circumstances. For example, if the hazardous substances are being used by a contractor or other third party, that person or organization may also have duties under COSHH.

The duty holder has a legal obligation to assess the risks to workers from hazardous substances and to implement appropriate control measures to prevent or reduce exposure. This may include providing information, instruction, and training to workers, as well as maintaining records of risk assessments and control measures.

The duty holder is also responsible for taking any necessary corrective action if workers are exposed to hazardous substances.

[edit] The COSHH Regulations

These directives by the UK around hazardous substances do not encompass all of them, as some have their subset of regulations, for example:

• Asbestos is regulated under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• Lead has the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
• Radioactive substances are controlled under the Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17)
• Others include the Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 and the Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010

To ensure minimal exposure to these hazardous substances, the COSHH regulations do provide a useful basis for controlling these substances to be compliant, such as:

• Only using hazardous substances when necessary and no alternatives are possible
• Conducting risk assessments before starting any work with those substances, known as a COSHH assessment
• Actively preventing exposure whenever possible, or applying best practices for controlling hazardous substances if prevention is not viable
• Ensuring proper maintenance, testing, and examination
• Surveying the health of those at risk of exposure
• Providing always available online COSHH training and supervision to any person coming into contact with those substances

[edit] Conclusion

Hazardous substances are everywhere in the workplace, and the COSHH regulations are meant to protect workers from the risks these substances bring. This blog discussed what the COSHH regulations are for and how they apply.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• COSHH.
• CDM.
• Deleterious materials.
• Design risk management.
• Designing to reduce the chemical, biological and radiological vulnerability of new buildings (IP 7/15).
• Disposal.
• Hazardous substances.
• Method statement.
• Occupational health.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990.
• Pollution.
• Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals REACH.
• Site waste management plan.
• Volatile organic compounds.
• Workplace exposure limits.
• Work at height regulations.