With more roles these days including contact with hazardous materials its important to look at what COSHH includes, how it can affect you and why proper training is so important.
It's vital that any substances an employee comes into contact with in their work that they understand how to correctly use it and understand if there are any risks in doing so.
COSHH or Control of Substances Hazardous to Health is the required knowledge needed to be sure a person is able to safely work with possibly dangerous substances. COSHH can cover several different types of substances and different care and protection are needed depending on the substances, some of these include:
- Chemicals
- Products containing chemicals
- Fumes
- Vapour
- Mists
- Nanotechnology
- Gases (including asphyxiating gases)
- Biological agents (germs)
It's also important to remember that not all hazards and risks are labelled as 'hazardous'. For example, skin contact with printer ink could cause skin damage, therefore, some action should be taken. It's important that employees are aware of any risk they are in including more obscure things like this.
It's important that staff understand any risks that could occur while at work, it's also vital that they are properly trained on how to interact with the hazard as well as what to do in an emergency situation.
For more info please get in touch with our team
