CoSHH Guide and the Small Business - Advice from the HSE
A new leaflet produced by the HSE entitled 'Working with Substances Hazardous to Health' has been written mainly for employers in small businesses to help them meet their specific duties under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) Regulations.
It is an easy to use guide which centres on dealing with hazardous chemicals at work, so that they do not cause ill health to employees. The guide was actually produced with input from small businesses including hairdressers and construction workers. It is intended to provide updated chemicals advice to smaller businesses in a language that makes it easier to comprehend and follow.
If you are running a small business or are self employed, you will need this guide to make sure you are protecting your employees. Most businesses use substances, or products that are mixtures of substances.
Every year, thousands of workers become ill due to hazardous substances. This leaflet gives guidance on working safely with a variety of substances, from metalworking fluids which can grow bacteria and cause dermatitis and asthma, to hairdressing products.
Many other products used in the workplace can be harmful such as paint, glue and beauty products. This useful guidance tool will help small businesses comply with health and safety law and are compliant with CoSHH regulations. CoSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. The CoSHH Regulations require employers to undertake risk assessments on their employees to determine how workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals and by how much. CoSHH provides employers with measures to minimise harm to health and how to store dangerous chemicals in a safe manner.
The advice in the leaflet is practical and user friendly, and stresses the importance of employers checking each substance they use and verifying how it can be harmful. Employers are encouraged to check the information which comes with products, for example; a safety data sheet. A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a form containing data regarding the properties of a particular substance.
Small businesses are crucial contributors to the economy, yet are also affected by a high number of work related health issues each year. If employers follow the advice in the guide, they are then establishing sound measures to ensure the health and safety of their workers.
The article supplied by the HSE, can be viewed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf
About the Author
Dale Allen delivers CoSHH compliance as one of the UK's leading compliance authorities. Find out more about how you can use his online COSHH365 CoSHH asssessment tool to produce compliant CoSHH assessments with the benefits of a managed Safety Data Sheet library, available at: => http://www.coshh365.com/
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