What the law says

Introduction

The COSHH Regulations require employers to plan, manage and monitor the use of chemicals, micro-organisms and other substances hazardous to health.  As with much of the other legislation the COSHH regulations simply formalise what has been good practice throughout industry for many years.

What is a 'Hazardous Substance' according to COSHH ?

The COSHH Regulations apply to any substance:

1. which is listed in [Table 3.2 of part 3 of Annex VI of the CLP Regulation] and for which an indication of danger specified for the substance is very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant;
2. for which [the Health and Safety Executive] has approved [a workplace exposure limit];
3. which is a biological agent;
4. which is dust of any kind, except dust which is a substance within paragraph (a) or (b) above, when present at a concentration in air equal to or greater than-
   1. 10 mg/m3, as a time-weighted average over an 8-hour period, of inhalable dust, or
   2. 4 mg/m3, as a time-weighted average over an 8-hour period, of respirable dust;
5. which, not being a substance falling within sub-paragraphs (a) to (d), because of its chemical or toxicological properties and the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk to health;