What each COSHH assessment covers
Each assessment names the substance and the task that uses or creates it. The assessment sets out how the substance gets into the body and who could be harmed. Controls follow the hierarchy of control: elimination or substitution first, then extraction or ventilation, then limits on quantity, exposure time and who is nearby. PPE and RPE come after those controls. Each assessment also covers storage and disposal, first aid and spills, and whether health surveillance is needed.
Dust and fume the work creates
A hazardous substance does not have to come in a tin. Cutting, drilling and sanding create dust, and some processes give off fume. Where the work drills or cuts masonry, concrete or stone, the RAMS assesses respirable crystalline silica, with on-tool extraction or water suppression before RPE.
Check each assessment against the Safety Data Sheet
The assessments are written from the products you name, not from their Safety Data Sheets. The COSHH assessments do not state hazard statement codes or exposure limit figures unless you give them. Each assessment says what to confirm from the supplier's Safety Data Sheet, and HSE's EH40/2005 gives the workplace exposure limits. A competent person checks and signs off the RAMS before use.
One document for the job
The COSHH assessments sit in the same RAMS as the method statement and the job's risk assessment. The method statement sets out the steps of the work. The COSHH assessments cover the substances used in those steps. You brief the team from one document.
FAQ
- Is a COSHH risk assessment a legal requirement?
- Yes. Under the COSHH Regulations 2002, an employer must assess the risk before starting work that could expose employees to a hazardous substance. Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings.
- Which substances get an assessment?
- The hazardous products you list when you describe the job, and the dust or fume the work creates, such as silica dust from cutting concrete. Inert materials do not get an assessment. If the job involves no hazardous substances, the RAMS has no COSHH assessments.
- Does a COSHH assessment replace the Safety Data Sheet?
- No. The Safety Data Sheet is the supplier's information about a product, and a COSHH assessment draws on it. Check each assessment against the supplier's Safety Data Sheet before work starts.
- Can I edit the document?
- Yes. You get an editable Word file and a PDF, so you can tailor it to the site before use.
- What does it cost?
- Your first document is free. After that, £15 each, three for £35, or ten for £89. No subscription. You can read a full sample before you decide.