Is COSHH a legal requirement?

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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), is a legal requirement that states employers control substances that are hazardous to the health of their employees. This sits under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH)

Any employer or organisation that uses substances that could harm employees, are required to follow COSHH guidelines such as using a COSHH Cabinet to prevent, or reduce exposure to the harmful substances. These substances can come in any of the following forms:

  • Chemicals
  • Nano-particles
  • Vapours
  • Gases
  • Dust
  • Fumes
  • Fibres

Who needs coshh training?

It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure any member of staff that may come into contact with COSHH substances is fully trained. Employees should be informed and instructed on procedures to work with COSHH safely. Employees need to understand the risk associated with such materials and how to handle them in a number of situations, including:

  • The precautionary measures they should take to stay protected
  • What to wear & how to use PPE (personal protective equipment)
  • If exposure should be limited to a certain amount of time
  • Emergency protocols that need to be followed

Is coshh statutory?

COSHH is a UK statutory instrument, COSHH falls under the Statutory Instruments legislation, which means, an Act of Parliament has been brought into force.

Employers that work with COSHH must protect employees from hazardous materials through risk assessment training & incident planning. Failure to do so is a breach of the regulations and a criminal act.

 

That concludes this brief article answering the question as to whether or not COSHH is a legal requirement or not. As well as our range of COSHH cabinets, we also sell a other cabinets relevant to hygiene and health. First aid cabinets are a must-have storage solution for all workplaces, and for environments that require a higher standard of hygiene than usual, our stainless steel cabinets are the perfect choice.

Peter