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QHSE Glossary

COSHH

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health — UK regulations requiring employers to control exposure to hazardous substances.

COSHH

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) is a critical concept in quality, health, safety, and environmental management.

What Is COSHH?

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) refers to the UK regulations requiring employers to control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace. The COSHH Regulations 2002 (as amended) apply to substances that are toxic, corrosive, irritant, or harmful — including chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases, biological agents, and germs. COSHH assessments must identify hazardous substances, evaluate exposure risks, determine control measures (following the hierarchy of controls), implement those controls, monitor exposure where necessary, and provide health surveillance. Approximately 13,000 deaths per year in the UK are linked to occupational exposure to hazardous substances.

COSHH Requirements Under UK Law

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2677, as amended by SI 2004/3386) require employers to: prevent or adequately control exposure (Regulation 7), use control measures properly (Regulation 8), maintain controls (Regulation 9), monitor exposure (Regulation 10), conduct health surveillance (Regulation 11), provide information/training (Regulation 12), and deal with accidents/emergencies (Regulation 13). HSE EH40/2005 sets Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for hundreds of substances. Maximum penalties: unlimited fines and imprisonment. HSE inspectors can issue improvement and prohibition notices with immediate effect.

Key Components of COSHH

  • Chemicals
  • Fumes
  • Dusts
  • Vapours
  • Mists
  • Gases
  • Biological agents
  • Asbestos (separate regulations)
  • Lead (separate regulations)

COSHH in Practice

A printing company (60 employees) uses 23 hazardous substances including solvent-based inks (containing toluene, WEL 50ppm 8-hour TWA), isopropyl alcohol, and UV-curable coatings. Each substance has a COSHH assessment in Q-Hub linked to its Safety Data Sheet. When a new ink formulation is introduced, the COSHH assessment workflow requires: SDS upload, hazard classification, exposure scenario, control measures (LEV extraction at 0.5m/s capture velocity), PPE requirements (nitrile gloves, safety goggles), health surveillance needs (lung function testing annually for solvent-exposed workers), and emergency procedures. Quarterly exposure monitoring results are recorded against WELs with automatic alerts at 50% of the limit.

How to Manage COSHH with Q-Hub

Q-Hub provides comprehensive tools for COSHH management. The Risk Assessment module handles the core requirements. Combined with document control, audit scheduling, and training management, Q-Hub ensures your COSHH processes are audit-ready at all times.

Related Terms

Want to see how Q-Hub handles COSHH in practice? Book a demo or see pricing.

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