There is a legal requirement (the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) for organisations to carry out a specific risk assessment of activities that involve the use of hazardous substances. Hazardous substances include:

• Any chemical with an orange warning label (e.g. toxic, harmful etc.)
• Biological agents e.g. Legionella, HIV, tetanue
• Plants, flowers and vegetables (they can cause dermatitis)
• Fumes or dust

The COSHH Risk Assessment should consider:

• The hazards presented by the substance
• The safety data sheet provided by the supplier/manufacturer (in the case of chemicals)
• The likely route of exposure (e.g. breathed in, swallowed, injected etc.)
• The duration of exposure
• The severity of any likely ill-health effects, and any required first aid treatment
• The methods of disposing of the substance
• Storage methods and any special fire fighting requirements

Phoenix Health and Safety can assist with your COSHH risk assessment requirements. We can carry out the assessments on your behalf, or we can assist you to carry them out by providing forms, examples and support.

We can also provide training in COSHH risk assessment.

Please contact us for an informal discussion with our expert team on how we can help.