Guidance · COSHH Regulations 2002

COSHH, made clear

Dust, fumes, chemicals and germs cause far more harm at work than most people realise, often years later. COSHH is how you keep that exposure under control.

sections on a safety data sheet
16
sections on a safety data sheet
ways into the body
4
ways into the body
months max between LEV tests
14
months max between LEV tests
01

What COSHH covers

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 cover any substance that can harm health at work.

Chemicals and products
Dusts, including silica and wood
Fumes, vapours and mists
Gases and asphyxiants
Germs and biological agents
Products made in your work, like welding fume
Nanomaterials
Anything with a workplace exposure limit
Not covered by COSHH
Asbestos, lead and radioactive substances have their own regulations. Asbestos is covered by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, and it's the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain.
“Every employer shall ensure that the exposure of his employees to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or, where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled.”
Regulation 7(1)Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

In plain EnglishStop the exposure if you can. If you really can't, control it well enough that nobody's health is harmed.

02

How exposure happens

Substances get into the body in four ways. Your controls need to block every route that applies.

1Breathing inDust, fumes, mist, vapour and gas2Skin and eyesSplashes, wet work and contact3SwallowingEating or smoking with dirty hands4Through the skinCuts, needles and high-pressure jets
03

Reading a safety data sheet

The supplier's safety data sheet tells you a lot of what you need. Five sections do most of the work.

Section 8

Exposure controls / PPE

Exposure limits, ventilation, and the gloves, eye and breathing protection to use. The heart of your controls.

Key section for your COSHH assessment

Suppliers must give you a safety data sheet for hazardous chemicals. It's a starting point for your assessment, not the assessment itself.

04

Steps to compliance

COSHH follows a clear sequence. Each step maps to a regulation.

  1. 1

    Assess the risks

    Reg 6

    List the substances and processes, who's exposed, how, and for how long.

  2. 2

    Decide the precautions

    Reg 6

    Work out what you need to do to prevent or control exposure.

  3. 3

    Prevent or control exposure

    Reg 7

    Use the hierarchy: eliminate, substitute, enclose, extract, then PPE.

  4. 4

    Make sure controls are used and maintained

    Reg 9

    Check extraction works, masks fit and people use them. LEV needs a thorough examination at least every 14 months.

  5. 5

    Monitor exposure

    Reg 10

    Air monitoring where you need to show exposure stays below the limits.

  6. 6

    Health surveillance

    Reg 11

    For example, skin checks or lung function tests where there's a known risk of ill health.

  7. 7

    Plan for emergencies

    Reg 13

    Spills, leaks and accidents involving hazardous substances.

  8. 8

    Inform, instruct and train

    Reg 12

    Make sure everyone knows the risks, the controls and how to use them.

05

Controlling exposure

Respiratory protection should never be the first answer. Work down from the top.

Eliminate
Don't use the substance or do the process at all.
Substitute
A safer product, or a safer form: paste instead of powder.
Enclose or extract
Closed systems, on-tool extraction, local exhaust ventilation.
Safe working
Wet cutting, less time exposed, good hygiene and housekeeping.
PPE and RPE
Face fit tested masks, gloves, goggles. Last resort, and maintained.
06

Dust on construction sites

Cutting, chasing, drilling and sanding create fine dust that damages the lungs. Silica dust from concrete, brick and stone is a particular danger.

Respirable crystalline silica
0.1 mg/m³
The legal workplace exposure limit, averaged over an 8-hour day

An amount you could barely see. That's why on-tool extraction and water suppression matter.

  • Use on-tool extraction or water suppression when cutting
  • Clean up with at least an M class vacuum, never a brush
  • Face fit test tight-fitting masks for each wearer, and keep records
  • Keep people not doing the work out of the dust
  • Plan the job to cut less, for example by ordering materials to size
07

Quick check

Quick check · 1 of 3

Is a safety data sheet a COSHH assessment?

08

How we help

As your competent person, this is part of your package or available as an add-on.

COSHH assessments

Clear assessments for the products and processes you actually use, built from your safety data sheets.

Substance register

One simple list of what you use, where it's kept and the controls needed, so nothing slips through.

Control checks

We check extraction, RPE, face fit records and storage on site, and tell you plainly what needs fixing.

On-site training

Practical sessions on dust, skin and chemical safety, available as an add-on.

More guidance
Manual handlingSafe lifting, guideline weights and the TILE check.Risk assessmentThe five steps, rating risk, and controls that work.Fire safetyFire risk assessment and the responsible person's duties.Reporting accidentsIs it reportable under RIDDOR? Find out in a few clicks.CDM 2015Who does what on construction work, and when to notify HSE.Working at heightAvoid, prevent, minimise, and getting ladders right.

Guidance reviewed October 2026. A plain-English summary of the law in England, Scotland and Wales, not legal advice. Always check the full text on legislation.gov.uk and the latest HSE guidance.

Using products you're not sure about?

Book a free compliance check and we'll show you how a competent person package keeps COSHH under control.

Book your free compliance check hivissafetyltd@gmail.com
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