The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation 2002 have been significantly updated, as from
6 April, 2005.  The new focus has been placed on good practice to help employers prevent their employees' health being harmed by the chemicals used in their workplace. There is also a change to the way limits are set for exposure to chemicals in the workplace. (See EH40 below).

What should safety representatives be doing?
     • Ensure you are involved in the COSHH assessment, so that no substance is used without having first been fully assessed.
     • Use your rights to health and safety information to request and take copies of COSHH assessments and   records of monitoring, including the results of local exhaust ventilation tests.
     • Check that measures to first prevent and then control exposure are introduced.
     • Ensure that the employer provides information and training in the risks and alternative means of working with substances hazardous to health.
     • Ask your employer whether there is a COSHH Essentials control solution for the jobs you do. If there is, make sure it is applied.


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Statute Links:
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Amendment) Regulations 2004
The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
Prohibition of Certain Substance Hazardous to Health for Certain Purposes (Statute Schedule)

**  Amendments of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
     i. Occupational Exposure Standards and Maximum Exposure Limits cease to exist and all references to them in
     the Regulations are removed.
     ii. New Workplace Exposure Limits are introduced. A definition is added [Reg 2(1)]
     iii. An amendment to the definition of risk assessment [Reg 2(1)]
     iv. Revision of the definition of adequate control [Reg 7 (7) and 7(8)]
     v. Revision of the requirements for the maintenance of controls [Reg 9(1)]
     vi. New Schedule [2A] covering Principles of Good Practice for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health


REACH Regulations - Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals - Amicus Information Page
Reach - What is it? - HSE

EH40 - Occupational Exposure Limits
The following tables, supplementary information and calculation methods have been extracted from EH40/2005 which contains the list of workplace exposure limits for use with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).
     Table 1: List of approved workplace exposure limits (pdf)
     Table 1: Supplementary information (pdf)
     Table 2: Biological Monitoring Guidance Values (pdf)
     Calculation methods (pdf)
     OELs and the effective control of exposure to substances hazardous to health in the UK (Version 3) (pdf) 

     Substances removed from EH40 - Chemical Hazards Communication Society (pdf)

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) COSHH Home Page - HERE
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) COSHH Essentials Guidance Publications - HERE - covering:
     General guidance - G series
     Machining with metalworking fluids - MW series
     Printers - P series
     Plant and machinery - PM series
     Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) - R series
     Harm via skin/eye contact - S series
     Welding, hot work and allied processes - WL series
     Gloves

Links:
Chemical Hazards Handbook
- from the London Hazards Centre Trust… Many topics listed - essential viewing.  Aimed at trade union safety representatives who deal with chemical safety on a daily basis but who do not have a chemistry background.

Advice on COSHH Assessments - Wrexham Council
Asbestos - Amicus Asbestos H&S Page
Asbestos - Hazards Magazine
Asbestos Hazards Handbook
Asbestos - HSE
Asbestos Register - national asbestos database
International Ban Asbestos Secretariat
Asthma - HSE Homepage
Asthma - Frequently Asked Questions
Asthma - Information Sheet - TUC
Battery Charging - A Multitude of Hazards Toolbox Talk - Toolboxtopics.com
Biocides, pesticides - HSE
Cancer - Occupational Cancer - HSE
Cancer - Occupational Cancer - Hazards Magazine
Chemical Exposure Limits - International Labor Organization
Chemicals - Free HSE Leaflets
Chemicals - Common Abbreviations for Chemicals - Oxford University
Chemicals - High Toxicity Chemcials - Oxford University
Chemicals - Known and Suspected Carcinogens - Oxford University
Chemicals - Maximum Exposure Limits - Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University
COSHH Essentials: Online Risk Assessment and Advice - HSE
Dermatitis - HSE
Dermatitis - Estimated number of cases reported to EPIDERM/OPRA, per 100,000 workers, 2003-05
Dermatitis in the Printing Industry - HSE
Dermatitis in the Workplace - London Hazards Centre Factsheet
Dust Masks - HSE warns against nuisance dust masks
Formaldehyde - London Hazards Centre Factsheet
Gloves - Chemical Resistant Gloves - Oxford University
Hairdressing & Beauty Salons - Health & Safety Guidance - Devononline.gov.uk
Hairdressing - Dermatitis, Gloves and Cream - HSE
Hazardous Chemical Database - University of Akron
Hazardous Substances - Safety Rep Action - Unison
Indoor Workplace Air Pollution - London Hazards Centre Factsheet
Infectious Diseases in the Workplace - London Hazards Centre Factsheet
Legionnaires Disease - HSE
Material Safety Data Sheets - Abbreviations Used for Toxicity Data
Material Safety Data Sheets - Meanings of Codes (R23, R45, etc) for Risk Phrases
Material Safety Data Sheets - Meanings of Codes (S3, S17, etc) for Safety Phrases
Mercury - OSHA
Mercury - Mercury Safety Products Ltd.
Metalworking Fluids - HSE Homepage
Metalworking Fluids - Chemical Hazards Toolbox Talk - Toolboxtopics.com
Motor Vehicle Repair (MVR) - Coshh Essentials - HSE
Occupational Exposure Limits -- MELs and OESs
Personal Protective Equipment - London Hazards Centre Trust
Pesticides - UK Regulation of Pesticides - HSE (incl. register of approved biocides and pesticide products)

Reproductive Toxicity (pregnancy, breast-feeding, fertility)
Safety Data for Consumer and Industrial Products - Oxford University
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) - Oxford University
Safety Data Sheets for Industrial Gases - BOC
Silica - COSHH Essentials in Ceramics - HSE
Silica - Essential guidance publications - HSE
Silica - Amicus Silica H&S Page
Amicus Guide to Controlling Silica Dust
Ventilation - London Hazards Centre Trust
Ventilation - Local Extraction for Welding Fume - TWI
Wood Dust - Hazards and Precautions - Health&Safety Home Pages
Woodworking - Hazards of Exotic Woods and MDF - by Dave Griffin

Downloads:
COSHH - A Brief Guide to the Regulations  - HSE (pdf)
COSHH Regulations Guide - USDAW (pdf, zipped)
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Code of Practice - sample, University, Word doc (zipped)
ToolboxTalk - Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations - Word doc (zipped)
ToolboxTalk - Working With Chemicals And Hazardous Substances - Word doc (zipped)
TUC PowerPoint presentation on dangerous substances and the role of safety reps in dealing with them (ppt)

Asbestos Fact Sheet - Amicus (pdf)
Carbon Monoxide in the Workplace - IAPA, Canada (pdf, zipped)

Diesel Exhaust Fumes - Amicus
Dermatitis - Occupational - Occupational Disease Working Group, Ontario (pdf, zipped)
Dermatitis - Preventing Contact Dermatitis at Work - HSE
Dermatitis at Work - Unison (pdf)
Silica in the Workplace - IAPA, Canada (pdf, zipped, 42pp)
Silica - HSE Information Sheet (pdf)
Silica - Toxic Air Contaminant Identification (carcinogenic) - California Environmental Protection Agency (pdf)
Silica in the Workplace - IAPA, Canada (pdf, zipped, 42pp)
Silica Sand Safety Data Sheet  (pdf)
Control of Exposure to Silica Dust in Small Potteries - HSE (pdf)
Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica -NIOSH Hazard Review (1.2mb, zipped)

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