COSHH: Who Is Responsible?

Posted on May 10th 2023 by Hannah Tilley.
Updated on: June 21st 2023.

who is responsible COSHH — **Hazardous substances need to be responsibility store**d

What is COSHH?

COSHH is a law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. The majority of businesses will use substances that are hazardous to health on an everyday basis, from cleaning products, chemicals, gases, and dust or vapours. With this in mind, it is important to understand your role and who is responsible of COSHH in your workplace environment.

Who is responsible?

The easy answer is.. Everybody! Although, the employer is directly responsible for COSHH standards. Nevertheless, it is vital employees comply with COSHH measures and procedures in place. By providing employees with all information they need to keep the workplace a safe environment.

To gather the procedures to put in place, first there must first be a COSHH risk assessment carried out throughout the site, as a legal obligation under COSHH Regulations 2002. In any case, controlled measures in place protect employees from exposure to hazardous substances. Given these points, it is important employees are trained safely on the control measures in place.

Here is a full list of responsibilities under COSHH Regulations for an employer:

Perform COSHH risk assessments
Eliminate or control exposure to hazardous substances
Implement control measures
Monitor and review control measures
Monitor and review exposure levels
Monitor employee health
Inform and train your employees in correct chemical safety procedures
Design, and implement, plan for emergencies, incidents and accidents.

What needs to be stored under COSHH Regulations?

The COSHH guidelines apply to all substances that can be identified as a corrosive, irritant, toxic, harmful or poisonous. The HSE label these as:

A chemical
Products containing chemicals
Fumes
Dusts
Mists
Nanotechnology
Gases and asphyxiating gases
Biological agents
Germs that cause disease

These guidelines (published by the Health and Safety Executive) recommend using a COSHH Cabinet to store hazardous substances. Undoubtedly, a hazardous cupboard or cabinet should be a mandatory feature in places like schools, offices, laboratories, hospitals, factories and warehouses. To begin with, consider the laws and regulations regarding the quantities of chemicals stored within a single location.

What if you do not comply to COSHH Regulations?

Your business must comply to HSE Regulations. Otherwise, you can face penalties, fines or even imprisonment.

Types of COSHH Cabinets for compliance:

Which COSHH storage should I buy?

COSHH cabinets are available in a range of sizes and colours to suit the varying types of substance stored. You can purchase a variety, including static, mobile or wall cabinets , most commonly used alongside additional floor stands to improve access. In this instance, it is vital that the cabinet is large enough for the volume of substance that you require to store. With this in mind, it is important to access the available space for your COSHH storage, therefore first measure up and consider left over space to access. Furthermore, ensure extra space surrounding your COSHH storage to reduce the risk of accidents involving harmful substances.

FAQ’s

It is only in the UK? Yes, it is a piece of UK Legislation, although other countries will have their own legislation in place.

How often should it reviewed? Firstly, to require a new COSHH assessment, either working practices will have changed significantly or new information will have become available about your employee’s exposure to certain substances.

Are there exemptions from COSHH? Not all hazardous substances are covered by COSHH as they have their own specific regulations. These include: Asbestos, Lead, and Radioactive Substances.