Why COSHH matters?
Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work put peoples health at risk, so law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health. They have to protect both employees and others who may be exposed by complying with the Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). COSHH is a useful tool of good management which sets out eight basic measures that employers and sometime employees must take. These are: • Assess the risk. • Decide what precautions to take. • Prevent or adequately control exposure. • Ensure that control measures are used and maintained. • Monitor the exposure. • Carry out appropriate health surveillance. • Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accident, incidents and emergencies. • Ensure employees are properly informed, trained and supervised. Too often we find that the first control measure that the Employer adopts is the use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
