Hazardous substances Guidance

Employees can be exposed, through their day-to-day work, to a wide range of substances that can lead to ill health if the exposure is not adequately controlled. Health effects can involve most parts of the body, including: Skin. Respiratory system. Digestive system. Internal organs.

To control this exposure employers are required to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 (COSHH) which define a substance hazardous to health as: Substances or mixtures of substances classified as dangerous to health under the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packing for Supply) Regulations. These are the regulations which determine which of the hazard warning signs a container of a listed substance must display. The COSHH Regs apply where a substance is classified as Very Toxic/Toxic, Harmful, Irritant or Corrosive. They do not apply where the only hazard is flammability o explosion where there are specific regulations or to asbestos and lead. They also apply to bacteria and microorganisms and any dust in a substantial concentration. There are also some similar substances to which they apply even though they are not classified, e.g. some pesticides.

Legal requirements
The COSHH Regulations require an employer to control the exposure of their employees to these substances based on a formal hazard identification and risk assessment process. Hazard identification The substances with the potential to be harmful to health are usually identified by: Presence of hazard warning label. Material safety data sheet. Technical literature. This will identify the nature of the harmful effects that can be produced, how you can be exposed and recommended precautions. When identifying a hazard you should remember to be a hazard there must be the possibility of it coming into contact with an employee.

Risk assessment The risk is a measure of the likelihood that the substance will harm someone and the potential severity of the harm. It is affected by:

The form in which the substance occurs this affects the ease of exposure. How it is used. What control measures are in place. Quantities of the substances being used. Frequency and duration of exposure. The assessment should be carried out by a competent person who understands the hazards and techniques of control. It is often a good idea to involve employees in the process. When assessing the risks there may be occasions when actual measurements of exposure are needed; this will require the use of a professional occupational hygienist.

You should also consider activities that may not actually be carried out by your own employees, such as cleaning and maintenance; you should ensure that the contractors have carried out the necessary assessments. Control If the assessment demonstrates that the exposure is not adequately controlled additional measures should be put in place based on the hierarchy of controls: Elimination of the use of the substance. Substitution by a less hazardous material. Isolation or containment. Removal at source, e.g. local exhaust ventilation. Administrative controls, e.g. limiting time of exposure. Personal protective equipment. PPE should be regarded as a temporary measure until a better solution is found or as a supplementary measure where an engineering control on its own may not be sufficient to reduce exposure to below the recommended limits. There is a requirement that all control measures are regularly inspected and maintained. In the case of controls such as local exhaust ventilation, this would need to be by an approved contractor. Training The Regulations require that all employees and others likely to exposed must be provided with information, instruction and training. This involves: Information on the hazards which are presented by the substances with which they are working.

 Instruction about the results of the assessment and the controls which have been put in place. Training on how to use the controls correctly. This training must be documented and employees must be given refresher training should any changes occur.