Occupational exposure limits, COSHH assessment

Risk Assessment, Occupational Exposure Limits and the UK COSHH Regulations... 

HSC (2002a). COSHH enforcement and the mle of OELs, Annex 4 Discussion Doctanent on Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) fiwnework. Discussion Document, Chemical Ri Assessment Unit, HSE, London. 

A risk assessment to comply with the UK COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) regulations is more easily undertaken when handling chemicals for example. It can often be readily estimated whether a given emission from an operation will exceed the accepted occupational exposure limit (OEL). If it is well below the figure, then no further action is necessary. 

It is the inhalation of such material which needs to be assessed under COSHH. The maximum concentration of an airborne substance to which an employee may be exposed by inhalation under any circumstance is specified by regulation, as is the method of measurement. These maximum exposure limits are published in EH40 by the Health Safety Executive. A list of occupational exposure standards are also published according to which there is no evidence of injurious effect if not exceeded. 

Regulation 7(7)(b) requires that the WEL must not be exceeded. The conditions described in 7(7)(c) are as follows for a substance that carries a risk phrase R42, R42/43, R45, R46 or R49 for a substance listed in schedule 1 of COSHH for a substance which is listed in section C of HSE publication Asthmagens Critical assessments of the evidence for agents implicated in occupational asthma or any other substance which the risk assessment has shown to be a potential cause of occupational asthma, the exposure must be reduced below that limit to as low as is reasonably practicable. 

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