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COSHH Assessments for Businesses
Midlands Compliance Services provides practical Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment support for SMEs across Burton-on-Trent, Derby and surrounding areas. MCS helps businesses identify hazardous substances, understand how people may be exposed and put sensible controls in place.
Support can include reviewing existing COSHH assessments, developing new assessments where they are missing or weak, and checking whether the controls described on paper are actually suitable for the work being carried out.
What a COSHH assessment covers
A COSHH assessment looks at the hazardous substances used or generated by the work, how people could be exposed, what harm could result and whether the existing controls are suitable.
A practical COSHH assessment should consider
The substance and its hazardous properties
How it is used, stored or generated
Who may be exposed and for how long
Inhalation, skin contact and other exposure routes
Existing engineering and procedural controls
PPE requirements
Storage, spill and emergency arrangements
Whether health surveillance may be needed
The aim is to make the assessment specific to the actual task and exposure, rather than simply copying information from the safety data sheet.
When COSHH assessments need to be reviewed
COSHH assessments should be reviewed when there is reason to think they are no longer valid or when there has been a significant change to the substance, process, exposure, controls or way the work is carried out.
Common triggers for review
A new substance or chemical product
Changes to the process or equipment
Changes to ventilation or other exposure controls
New information from a safety data sheet
An incident, spill or exposure concern
New employees or vulnerable workers
An assessment that is clearly generic or out of date
A review should confirm that the controls still match the actual work, rather than simply updating the date on the document.
How the COSHH assessment process works
1 — Identify the substances
We start by identifying the substances used, handled or generated by the work and reviewing the available safety information.
2 — Understand the exposure
The assessment considers how people could be exposed, how often the task is carried out, how long exposure may last and who could be affected.
3 — Review the controls
Existing controls are checked to see whether they are suitable, including ventilation, containment, working methods, storage, PPE and emergency arrangements.
4 — Record clear actions
Any further actions are recorded clearly and proportionately, with follow-up support available where controls need to be improved or implemented.
COSHH assessments in Burton-on-Trent and Derby
MCS provides COSHH assessment support for SMEs across Burton-on-Trent, Derby and surrounding areas, with wider support available across the Midlands.
Areas currently covered
Burton-on-Trent, Derby, Swadlincote, Lichfield, Uttoxeter, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and surrounding areas.
COSHH assessment FAQs
Do I need a COSHH assessment for every chemical?
Not every substance needs the same level of assessment, but hazardous substances used or generated by the work need to be considered properly. The assessment should focus on the actual risk of exposure, not just whether a safety data sheet exists.
Is a safety data sheet the same as a COSHH assessment?
No. A safety data sheet provides information about the substance, but a COSHH assessment considers how that substance is actually used in your workplace, who may be exposed and whether the controls are suitable.
Read our practical guide to the difference between a COSHH assessment and a safety data sheet.
Can you review our existing COSHH assessments?
Yes. MCS can review existing assessments to check whether they are specific to the task, current and supported by suitable controls.
Can COSHH apply to dusts, fumes and process-generated substances?
Yes. COSHH can apply to substances generated by work activities, such as dusts, fumes, vapours and mists, not just products supplied in containers.
Need help with COSHH assessments?
If you need new COSHH assessments, a review of existing documents or help improving how hazardous substances are controlled in practice, MCS can provide practical support.