COSHH Control of substances Hazardous to Health

Other inspection services available include the examination of steel structures (new and existing), electrical wiring installations, containers (to meet Statutory Instm-ment No. 1890), dangerous substances (carriage by road in road tankers or tank containers) to meet Statutory Instmment No. 1059, examination of second-hand plant prior to purchase, plant undergoing repair or modification, the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations (CIMAH) Statutory Instmment No. 1902 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and Pressure Systems Regulations. 

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 1989 covers virtually all substances hazardous to health. Only asbestos, lead, materials producing ionizing radiation and substances below ground in mines (which all have their own legislation) are excluded. The Regulations set out measures that employers must implement. Failure to comply with COSHH, in addition to exposing employees and others to risk, constitutes an offence and is subject to penalties under the Health and Safety at Work Act, etc. 1974. 

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations... 

Before carrying out any of the following laboratory exercises, the appropriate safety audits should be performed. In particular, attention is drawn to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations. 

Coates, D. Hutchinson, D. N. (1994) How to produce a hospital disinfection policy. JHosp Infect, 26,57-68. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (1999) (SI4371999) ISBN 0 11 082087 8. 

In most countries there are regulations that an employer must, under law, follow to ensure the safety of employees and others that might be affected by the work being done. In the UK the use of chemicals is subject to a set of regulations called The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) (Health Safety Executive (1999)). 

Act (1974) provides the main framework for health and safety, it is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations of 1994 and 1996 that impose strict legal requirements for risk assessment wherever chemicals are used. Within this context, the use of the terms hazard and risk are very important. A hazardous substance is one that has the ability to cause harm, whereas risk is about the likelihood that the substance may cause harm. Risk is often associated with the quantity of material being used. For example, a large volume of a flammable substance obviously poses a greater risk than a very small quantity. Your laboratory will operate its own safety scheme, so ensure that you are aware of what it is and follow it. 

Prior to commencing any experimentation, you are required to complete a hazard and risk assessment of the chemicals and apparatus that you will use, i.e. a Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment (see Chapter 1). 

In the UK the ACGIH list of TLVs was the basis for exposure limits until the 1980s when a UK provision of control limits and exposure standards was developed and incorporated into the regulatory approach encompassed by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. Despite this British regulatory position however, the majority of the limits adopted remained ixnchanged from those of the ACGIH list of TLVs. 

Monitoring of the atmosphere and workplace for trace pollutants (substances) and compounds of environmental interest is now a common routine requirement to meet environmental legislation such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations in the UK. Substances to be analysed are present at concentration levels down ppbv, pgm so that pre-concentration techniques are necessary. The most effective method is to collect the substances using an adsorbent tube, although trapping in an appropriate solvent may also be used. 

Health and Safety Executive (2007). Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) [online]. Available from http //www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/ [Accessed 20 August 2007]. 

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations require exposure to metalworking fluids (or cutting fluids), by inhalation, ingestion or skin contact to be prevented where reasonably practicable, or, failing that, adequately controlled. 

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 1988 is a comprehensive piece of legislation stemming from the above Act. It lays down a rational approach to the control of risks to health from potential exposure to chemicals in the workplace. The approach encapsulated by COSHH (and its supporting Codes of Practice) is based on the principles of good occupational hygiene practice and covers the following ... 

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