THE ANSWER, FIRST
Assess how people could be exposed to harmful substances in the work. Include substances created by the process, such as dust or fumes, as well as labelled products.
Check the sourceJump to a section
Who is responsibleYour next stepsBefore spending moneyWhat you can do yourselfPutting it into practiceRecords to keepWhen to reviewCommon questionsOfficial sourcesWho is responsible?
Work involving substances hazardous to health, from cleaning chemicals to dust, fumes and biological agents.
Assess and control exposure to substances hazardous to health. A supplier’s safety data sheet provides information for the assessment; it is not the assessment itself.
START HERE
Your next three steps
- 1
Identify substances used or generated by your work.
- 2
Assess the actual exposure and who could be affected.
- 3
Put effective controls in place and check they work.
BEFORE YOU PAY
Make sure you’re buying the right job
- List tasks and substances, and collect relevant safety data sheets.
- Consider how exposure happens, who is affected and how often.
- Ask how proposed controls address the actual task and how their effectiveness will be checked.
Watch out: A folder of safety data sheets is not a set of workplace-specific COSHH assessments.
Compare the whole cost of two quotesWhat can you do yourself?
You can gather product and process information and involve staff. A safety data sheet informs the assessment; it is not a finished assessment of your workplace.
When to get competent help
Use competent advice where you cannot establish or control the exposure adequately. Monitoring, ventilation and health-surveillance questions may need more specific expertise.
Describe exposure during the task, not just the product name
Before you commission work
Collect product information alongside a description of how work is performed, including cleaning, maintenance and process-generated dust or fumes. Ask workers about unusual conditions and where the existing arrangements are difficult to follow. Tell a prospective adviser what controls are already in place.
Follow through on the result
Ask the competent adviser to connect recommendations to the relevant task and explain how the controls will be checked. Separate any specialist measurement, equipment work or training from the assessment fee. Make sure the people doing the job receive usable instructions and know who to contact when conditions change.
Compare costs and decide what to buy
Use these buying guides to prepare your brief, check exclusions and compare the whole price.
Keep a useful record
Aim for information that helps the next person make a sound decision.
- The tasks, substances and routes of exposure assessed.
- The controls chosen and responsibilities for using and maintaining them.
- Further evidence or checks identified as necessary by the assessment.
When to review it
Review when substances, processes, exposure or information about the risk changes.
Ask a supplier to distinguish a legal deadline, a recommendation based on risk and a condition in your contract or insurance. They are not interchangeable.
Questions to put to a provider
- Does this assess our actual tasks and exposure?
- Can we eliminate or substitute the hazard?
- How will controls be checked and maintained?
Common questions
Is a safety data sheet a COSHH assessment?
No. It provides information about a product. The assessment considers how it is actually used and how people may be exposed.
Do dust and fumes count?
They can. HSE specifically highlights harmful substances produced by processes, including wood dust, silica dust and welding fumes.
Check the official sources
Read the current guidance for the place where you operate. A link is not an endorsement of this website by the regulator.
Source-checked guidance. Specialist editorial sign-off is pending; this is not an assessment of your business. It does not cover every specialist activity or replace competent, case-specific advice.
Our editorial standards · Report something that needs correcting