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