I have heard about COSHH Regulations. What are they?
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 (the COSHH Regulations) cover almost every workplace from offices, where hazardous substances such as solvents in correcting fluids and chemicals used in photocopier toner are used, to factories where any number of substances covered by the Regulations may be used or produced. The Regulations require employers to conduct a risk assessment and stipulate what measures of control and maximum time of exposure is permitted for employees. They also require employers to monitor employees’ health, use of hazardous substances and ensure training of employees. The Regulations state that an employer shall not carry on any work which is liable to expose employees or other persons on the premises to any substance hazardous to health unless an assessment of the risks to health and of the steps which need to be taken has been carried out. These Regulations replaced earlier 1994 Regulations. They define substances hazardous to health as: •
