The individual in charge of running a company or supervising a team at work has a responsibility to familiarise themselves with the laws and policies in place to safeguard the health and safety of employees.

Only by doing this will your company be able to fulfil its obligations as an employer, while ensuring the safety of all at work.

In order for a company to meet its duty of care to employees, it must scrupulously follow the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations of 2002 if its work involves the use or handling of potentially hazardous substances.

These regulations are intended to limit or minimise employees' exposure to substances and materials that could be hazardous, preventing accidents and preserving the welfare of the workforce.

What is COSHH?

Employers are required under COSHH to control substances that are harmful to their employees' health. You can avoid or minimise your employees' exposure to dangerous substances by:

● learning what the health risks are;

● deciding how to reduce the danger;

● implementing controls to lessen health risks;

● making certain they are utilised;

● keeping all control measures operational;

● providing employees and others with knowledge, training and education;

● providing oversight and health surveillance where necessary;

● making emergency plans

Why is COSHH important?

In 2020-21 in Great Britain, 1.7 million workers suffered from work-related illnesses and injuries. According to estimates, thousands of workers in the UK experience illnesses or injuries each year as a result of being exposed to hazardous, harmful or toxic substances at work. 

This can contain anything considered a hazardous substance under COSHH regulations:

● Chemicals and products containing chemicals

● Fumes

● Dust

● Vapours

● Mists

● Nanotechnology

● Gases and asphyxiating gases

● Biological agents (germs)

COSHH does not cover asbestos, lead or radioactive materials - these are governed by their own safety regulations.

It protects your employees

An injury sustained from a hazardous substance can be severely damaging to the health of the employee. COSHH protects those on sites with hazardous substances to reduce the risk posed to them.

It impacts businesses

Injuries to workers can have serious consequences for the employer, too. An injury can result in workplace absences, reduced productivity and the potential for regulatory penalties, as well as a damaged company reputation.

It improves your processes

Being COSHH-compliant forces you to revisit all your controls and processes - including equipment and working behaviours, training level, and work output.

Compliance everywhere

Learning about COSHH allows you to get a better understanding of compliance from the top down. This means you will not be at risk of falling behind and not knowing how to tackle compliance when implementing new processes involving potentially hazardous substances.

Find out how your business can be COSHH-compliant

SafetyBuyer is an occupational safety expert, selling safety products and solutions to help manage hazardous substances and keep the site COSHH-compliant. Visit our COSHH management and spill control solutions here.