More than another trendy acronym, COSHH regulations aim to protect the health and lives of workers, subcontractors, onsite visitors and the public. They do this by regulating substances that are classified as ‘hazardous’ to human health. But what is COSHH, how do its rules affect your business and why is COSHH important?
Let us answer your COSHH questions. This article will then end with details about our COSHH signs and the advantages of shopping with Label Source.
What is COSHH?
So, what does COSHH mean?
COSHH is an acronym that stands for the ‘Control of Substances Hazardous to Health’. COSHH is governed by The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 and has strict measures that employers and those in charge of worker safety, must adhere to. This is not just reserved for certain sectors or industries. Most workplaces must abide by these directives.
Failing to obey these regulations is a crime. To help protect all persons working or visiting a site, in-depth yearly COSHH risk assessments are required by law when hazardous substances are made, stored or present within a workplace. Asking ‘What is COSHH?’ can therefore save lives.
What is Meant By ‘Hazardous Substances’?
Health and safety service provider HASpod cites The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 when defining this term. These regulations define a “hazardous substance” where “the intrinsic property of that substance … has the potential to cause harm to the health of a person”.
There are various hazardous substances that our COSHH signs can signal to those on site. A few examples include:
- Toxic substances
- Environmental hazards
- Irritants and corrosive chemicals
- Flammable or explosive materials
- Life-threatening fumes, dust, gas, vapour or mist.
Whilst thorough inductions and safety training help to inform employees of the risks in that specific environment, companies have to go further. They have a legal duty to highlight these potential dangers clearly to all workers as well as visitors and customers where applicable.
Please note that different regulations apply to severely hazardous substances, with asbestos, radioactive substances and lead being three exceptions that aren’t covered by COSHH. Instead, they’re governed by separate regulations.
Why is COSHH Important?
Hazardous substances can cause damage to property and fires. However, there is also a human cost. Thousands of workplace injuries and deaths are caused by exposure such as inhalation and ingestion, broken skin or coming into contact with the eyes. Many of these hazardous substances can also cause long-term illnesses such as cancer through being exposed. They may in some cases impact the quality of life of workers’ families.
The CPD Online College notes the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) most up-to-date statistics in these areas, which include:
“13,000 deaths each year linked to past exposure at work, primarily to chemicals or dust.
17,000 new cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work each year on average over the last three years. 7,000 new cases of self-reported skin problems each year that were caused or made worse by work”.
These figures stress the work that remains to be done to protect people in the workplace. Employees also have a duty to protect themselves and others by wearing sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), attending COSHH-related training, wiping down surfaces and keeping their place of work hygienic.
What Are The 3 Main Regulations of COSHH?
Within COSHH, the HSE Network states three main regulations of COSHH that must be followed at all times. These are:
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended).
- The Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation.
- The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation.
It should be noted that the second and third regulations listed here relate to chemicals. Visit the HSE’s GB CLP Regulation and UK REACH pages for further guidance following Brexit.
What COSHH Signs Does Label Source Sell?
COSHH regulations apply to businesses of all sizes, which must highlight any hazardous substances to those who could come into contact with them (including the general public). Here to support your health and safety policies, we’re proud that all of our COSSH signs and products comply with The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This offers peace of mind to safety managers as well as owners.
To help your company highlight potential risks and save lives, the three categories of COSHH signs we offer are:
- COSHH Signs and COSHH Labels
- COSHH Tapes
- GHS Packaging Tape.
This safety-conscious collection includes signs that give precise information about each specific hazard and instructions for handling/storing the relevant substance, whilst others educate on the right emergency measures should an accident occur. Our COSHH tape products are ideally suited to highlighting hazards alongside indicating restricted areas.
Comply with COSHH By Choosing Label Source
Meet your COSHH obligations by shopping with Label Source. We’ve been in business for three decades and will help you with high-quality COSHH signs and tapes. Contact us or email sales@labelsource.co.uk should you require any further assistance.
