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30 Spring 2022 I f your business uses any substance that could cause harm to a person, you need to know about COSHH regulations, because one of the fundamental requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) is the prevention or control of exposure to substances hazardous to health. Substances covered by the COSHH regulations include: • Chemicals • Products containing chemicals • Fumes • Vapours • Mist • Dust • Gases • Nanotechnology • Biological agents • Germs that cause diseases Look out for hazard symbols on packaging too. Simply put, where you have hazardous substances, you must have control measures in place to reduce the risk of exposure. After all, these substances are called hazardous for a reason – they can harm people’s health and, in some cases, cause serious and permanent damage. And, just like carrying out a COSHH assessment is a legal requirement, so is the need to control the hazards and risks you identify. Regulation 7 (3) of the control of substances hazardous to health regulations 2002 states: “Where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent exposure to a substance hazardous to health, the employer shall comply with his duty of control by applying protection measures appropriate to the activity and consistent with the risk assessment”. But what control measures are best to use for COSHH, in what priority, and how do they reduce the risk? 1. ELIMINATION The COSHH regulations first require exposure to be prevented. This can be done by eliminating hazardous substances entirely, and therefore control exposure by getting rid of the risk in the first place. This might involve changing a process completely to avoid the use of the substance. Regulation 7 (1) of the control of substances hazardous to health regulations 2002 states: “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”. Of course, it is not always possible to eliminate a substance. Sometimes, hazardous substances do need to be used, so you cannot entirely prevent the risk of exposure. Now we need to think about how the risk can be controlled. When, where and why you should follow them. COSHH REGULATIONS