| One of the biggest challenges facing | | | | employees to a substance hazardous to |
| modern businesses is ensuring that they | | | | health without first undertaking a risk |
| are fully compliant with health and | | | | assessment. |
| safety regulations. COSHH - the Control | | | | This assessment should involve |
| of Substances Hazardous to Health Act is | | | | consultation with any information |
| just one of the relevant guidelines that | | | | provided by the supplier of a substance |
| businesses must be compliant with | | | | in use. This should be reviewed |
| London office cleaning services company | | | | regularly and also where there is reason |
| Sloane Cleaning are fully compliant with | | | | to believe that work patterns have |
| COSHH. Their friendly staff are fully | | | | changed significantly enough to warrant |
| trained in COSHH and can ensure that | | | | re-evaluation of substance use. |
| your business is fully compliant all of | | | | Employers should also take into |
| the criteria outlined by the Health and | | | | consideration the level of occupational |
| Safety Executive. | | | | exposure limits, as outlined by the HSE. |
| What is COSHH? | | | | Control of Exposure - Employers must |
| COSHH refers to the Control Of | | | | either prevent exposure to harmful |
| Substances Hazardous to Health Act of | | | | substances, or if unavoidable, implement |
| 2002 under which, employers have a | | | | measures to limit the level of exposure. |
| responsibility to protect employees and | | | | Control Measures - Employers must take |
| related persons from the hazards of | | | | action to ensure that measures of |
| substances used in the workplace. | | | | controlling, and any necessary use of |
| How does COSHH affect my business? | | | | equpiment or facilities are managed |
| These guidelines stipulate that | | | | correctly. |
| employers must undertake measures to | | | | Monitoring Exposure - Employers must |
| prevent and protect people in their | | | | prove that they have measures in place |
| place of business from coming into | | | | to consistently monitor the level of |
| contact with potentially dangerous | | | | exposure at regular intervals. This |
| substances. | | | | should be in accordance with a risk |
| COSHH is enforced by both Local | | | | assessment plan. |
| authorities and the Health and Safety | | | | Information and instruction - Regulation |
| Executive. As an employer, taking your | | | | 12 of COSHH states that employees who |
| responsibility towards COSSH is very | | | | are likely to come into contact with |
| serious indeed. Breach of the | | | | hazardous substances should be provided |
| regulations could result in a criminal | | | | with adequate information and |
| conviction and this can lie with either | | | | instruction on how to limit exposure to |
| an organisation or an individual. | | | | harmful substances and potential risk. |
| What measures can I undertake to ensure | | | | All employees should be provided with |
| I am in compliance with COSHH? | | | | the following: |
| There are several ways to make your | | | | - Details of the hazardous substances |
| organisation compliant with COSHH, they | | | | including names of substances and the |
| are as follows: | | | | risk that they present. |
| Risk assessment | | | | - Relevant occupational exposure |
| Under Regulation 6 of the Act, employers | | | | standard |
| must not carry out work liable to expose | | | | - Findings of risk assessment. |