COSHH Compliance Check

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, place a legal duty on every UK employer whose staff are exposed to hazardous substances — cleaning chemicals, solvents, adhesives, dusts, fumes, biological agents or gases — to assess the risk and put in place adequate control measures. This is not limited to obvious industrial settings: hairdressers and beauty salons, garages and vehicle repair shops, cleaning contractors, print and sign shops, laboratories, nail bars, caterers and construction trades are all routinely in scope. The HSE actively enforces COSHH through targeted inspection campaigns and can issue improvement or prohibition notices, and serious breaches — particularly those causing occupational asthma, dermatitis or other long-term ill health — can lead to prosecution and unlimited fines.

Compliance requires more than storing chemicals safely. Employers must complete a written COSHH risk assessment for each hazardous substance in use, apply the hierarchy of control (eliminate, substitute, control exposure, use PPE as a last resort), provide relevant information and training to staff, and in higher-risk cases arrange health surveillance and exposure monitoring against Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs). Many small businesses hold COSHH data sheets from suppliers but have never converted them into a proper risk assessment, which is the specific gap HSE inspectors look for. Getting this right also reduces the risk of employer liability claims from staff who develop occupational ill health.

This check reviews your compliance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) — covering risk assessments, exposure controls, PPE, training and health surveillance for any business using hazardous chemicals, dusts, fumes or biological agents.