COSSH Assessment Software (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
The use of harmful and hazardous substances, carcinogens and chemicals in the workplace can cause damage the health of your employees. The COSHH regulations were created to ensure that employers controlled this situation. These regulations are policed by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is responsible for certain health, safety and other inspections here in the UK.
COSHH Regulations are enforced by the HSE and in its enforcement role it follows these internal operational procedures.
- Inspection
- Investigation
- Complaints
- Enforcement decisions
- Notice
- Prosecution
- Major incident
- Penalties
- Work-related deaths
Please note that COSHH is included in the UK's criminal law system. Breaking the regulations is breaking the law and punishable by fines or even jail sentences. The UK Health and Safety Executive Website offers advice on COSHH and advises that employers can reduce employees exposure to harmful and hazardous substances by...
- finding out what the health hazards are;
- deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment)
- providing control measures to reduce harm to health;
- making sure they are used ;
- keeping all control measures in good working order;
- providing information, instruction and training for employees and others;
- providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases;
- planning for emergencies.
COSHH Assessment Software for Managing your COSHH Requirements
COSHH Assessment Software can be used to help you manage COSHH compliance in your business. As with Risk Assessment Software, locally installed systems are available but more and more COSHH Assessment Software packages are now web based. Some of the requirement are detailed below but we recommend that you seek professional advice or use COSHH Assessment Software to do your assessments.
- Assess the risks in using hazardous substances in your business, workplace or activities
- Identify the type of work or task where the hazardous substances are being used
- Identify the location where this work or tasks are carried out.
- Identify the Risk Assessor and the expiry dates of the COSHH Risk Assessment
- Monitor the places where the work is carried out, identify hazards and the people affected by these and ensure that appropriate safeguards and controls are in place.
- Explore the requirement for PPE Personal Protective Equipment in all areas where hazardous substances are used and provide the required PPE to the operators. The operators must be made fully aware of the hazards and the risks.
- Note that every effort should be made to prevent employees from exposure to hazardous substances but when this is impractical proper protection and controls should be in place.
- Should prevention of exposure be impossible then this exposure must be carefully monitored.
- The protective procedures that have been put in place must be monitored and controlled.They should also be policed to monitor and enforce them.
- Planning for accidents is essential. Proper procedures for action in event of emergencies, accidents and incidents must be prepared.
- Employees must be suitably supervised and trained in these procedures.
DISCLAIMER: The above list has been compiled in good faith but we are not health and safety consultants. you should always seek proefessional advice and/or training in COSHH Assessment.
On this page we will be featuring COSHH Assessment Software and safety management software. Call back soon for more information.
