What is COSHH?
COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 require every employer in Great Britain to assess the risks from hazardous substances at work and to prevent or adequately control exposure.
Which substances are covered?
- Chemicals and products classed as hazardous, for example bleach, oven cleaner, descaler, solvents, paints and adhesives.
- Dusts in substantial amounts, such as wood dust, flour dust and silica from cutting stone or concrete.
- Fumes and vapours, such as welding fume and solvent vapour.
- Biological agents, such as bacteria in sewage or legionella in water systems.
- Substances with a workplace exposure limit (WEL) listed in HSE's EH40.
Not covered by COSHH, because they have their own rules: lead, asbestos and radioactive substances.
The eight steps for employers
- Assess the risks from each hazardous substance.
- Decide what precautions are needed.
- Prevent or adequately control exposure, preferring elimination and substitution over PPE.
- Make sure control measures are used and maintained (for example, local exhaust ventilation is tested every 14 months).
- Monitor exposure where needed.
- Carry out health surveillance where needed, for example for skin or lung problems.
- Prepare plans for accidents, incidents and emergencies.
- Make sure employees are properly informed, trained and supervised.
Does a COSHH assessment have to be written down?
If you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings. Smaller businesses are strongly advised to write them down too: it is the easiest way to show an inspector, an insurer or a client that the assessment was done. Start from the product's safety data sheet (section 2 for hazards, section 8 for exposure controls), which your supplier must give you.
Who enforces COSHH?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for factories, building sites and similar workplaces, and local authority environmental health officers for shops, offices, hospitality and leisure.
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What does COSHH stand for?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.
Do self-employed people need to follow COSHH?
Self-employed people have the same duties as employers where their work could affect others, and for their own protection in most cases.
Is a COSHH cabinet a legal requirement?
Not as such. The law requires safe storage proportionate to the risk; a lockable cabinet is a common way to achieve it, and flammable liquids have their own storage rules under DSEAR.
Checked against HSE guidance on COSHH (hse.gov.uk/coshh), October 2026. Related: COSHH symbols · COSHH for cleaners.