Part 9:
An Introduction to COSHH Risk Assessments
One of the most fundamental ways to keep your employees safe from exposure to hazardous substances through the aforementioned routes, is by completing a COSHH risk assessment. Let’s examine exactly what this means and how to conduct it. It's important to understand exactly how to create and write a COSHH assessment to efficiently protect your teams from hazardous substances.
Let’s start at the beginning. A COSHH risk assessment is when you evaluate a certain hazardous substance, including all the risks and hazards it may pose, who it may affect, and the control measures needed.
Read on for the most important elements you need to consider during this process:
Use
When completing a COSHH assessment you will need to include all tasks and activities related to the chemical and its use. Culture in your organisation in terms of safe use of chemicals, is key.
Waste
Consider the transport of waste chemicals internally. How will these be transported? Where and how will they be stored?
Storage
Are chemicals segregated in accordance with their associated hazards? Are chemicals stored above a recommended height? Is the packaging suitable for the chemicals stored within?
These are all issues which could cause accidents or incidents in the workplace. Ensure all aspects of storage are considered when bringing new chemicals on site.
Risk assessment vs. Individual risk assessment
Your COSHH risk assessment needs to be specific to the area where the chemicals are being used. Make sure to assess multiple different exposure scenarios for a given material.
If this chemical is used in two different tasks, the COSHH assessment must have control measures for both tasks and have a unique risk rating for each. Staff using the product would need to be trained on this as well as the different usage types.