Risk Assessment
COSHH Risk Assessment
Introduction to COSHH
A COSHH risk assessment identifies substances and activities where there may be exposure to hazardous substances, used or generated, which may damage health. Implementing reasonable steps to prevent ill health to employees and visitors. The aim is to know how workers are exposed, what they are exposed to and finally, what is the probability of adverse health effects arising from exposure.
How does COSHH affect your workplace?
COSHH regulations require all employers to assess the risks to health arising from hazardous substances created by the work activity, and then decide what precautions are needed in order to prevent or adequately control exposure.
A COSHH risk assessment is a thorough look at your workplace to identify all situations, products and processes that may cause harm. After these have been identified, it is time to evaluate how likely and severe the risk is, and then decide what measures should be in place to effectively prevent or control the harm from happening. This could be by eliminating exposure by using a non-hazardous alternative or to reduce exposure below the Workplace Exposure Limit.
Although not specifically part of a COSHH risk assessment, consideration should be given to the possible environmental impact of the use and disposal of any chemical.
How do you identify the risks and hazards?
Health hazards are not limited to substances labelled as ‘hazardous’. There are also many harmful substances that can be produced by the process you use, including Silica Dust from working with stone, wood dust from sanding or even Isocyanates from vehicle spray repairs.
Assessing The Risks: Sometimes it may be difficult to judge the amount of exposure to substances and decide what steps are needed in order to control it.
If small amounts of materials are used whether they are harmful or not, and there is very little chance of it escaping, the risk can be considered low. But in a different task/process involving the same material the risk could be a lot higher due to more chance of the harmful substance getting onto the skin or being breathed in.
If a task involves a larger amount of material, with obvious leaks, exposure is higher and of course, so is the risk. Whether the substance is harmful or not, your need for control is obvious. You then need to decide what measures need to be taken and when.
If you have five or more employees, you must record your COSHH risk assessment but, even if you have fewer than five, it is advised to still write down what steps you have taken to identify the risks. The most important part is to make a list of actions you are taking to control the risks to employee and visitors’ health.
What is the work exposure limits?: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has established Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for a number of substances hazardous to health. These are intended to prevent excessive exposure to specified hazardous substances by containing exposure below a set limit. A WEL is the maximum concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a reference period of 8 hours, to which employees may be exposed by inhalation.
You must ensure that workplace exposure limits are not exceeded. Correctly applying the COSHH principles of good practice will mean exposures are controlled below the WEL. Hylev can help you determine the exposure levels over a time weighted average which can then be compared to the work exposure limit (WEL). In some cases there is not a WEL determined for the hazardous substance.
Review and Monitor Your COSHH Risk Assessment
It is important to know that your COSHH risk assessment is always complete and accurate. It is essential to review your risk assessment on a regular basis to be sure that nothing has changed and that your control methods are still effective. Hylev can assist you in the review process when:
changes or addition to machinery, tools or equipment
New information becomes available about a product
New substances or chemicals used
Changes in the process
New employees
How can Hylev implement the COSHH Risk Assessment?
Hylev can take you through a turn key package where we help you implement the Prioritised Action Plan. Ensuring that those reduceable risks are managed to a practicably reasonable level. After we have helped you access the risks and decide what controls can be implemented. We can help you with the next steps
Preventing or adequately controlling exposure
Testing controls are adequate
Maintaining controls
Monitoring exposure
Appropriate health surveillance