Manage hazardous substances, track exposure, and maintain compliance with COSHH Regulations 2002.
Understanding the legal requirements for hazardous substance control
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. It's a legal requirement under UK health and safety law that requires employers to assess and control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace.
COSHH covers a wide range of hazardous substances including chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases, biological agents, and germs that cause disease. From industrial chemicals and solvents to everyday cleaning products and wood dust, if it can harm your health, it falls under COSHH.
"If you use chemicals, cleaning products, paints, adhesives, dusts, or fumes at work — you need COSHH assessments."
Failure to comply with COSHH regulations can result in HSE enforcement action, improvement or prohibition notices, unlimited fines, and in serious cases, prosecution. More importantly, inadequate control of hazardous substances puts your workforce at risk of occupational diseases, respiratory conditions, skin conditions, and long-term health effects.
Risk Ranger's COSHH Register gives you a structured, HSE-aligned system to identify hazardous substances, assess the risks, implement controls, and maintain compliance — all without needing spreadsheets or paper files.
Every detail the HSE expects to see, organised and accessible
Record substance name, CAS number, supplier details, and safety data sheet (SDS) reference with version number. Link to the latest SDS document for instant access.
Track the form of the substance (liquid, solid, gas, dust, vapour, mist), concentration percentages, and quantities used in the workplace.
Visual GHS pictograms, hazard statements (H-codes), precautionary statements (P-codes), and signal words. Compliant with CLP regulations.
Automatically classify substances into Groups A through E based on risk level, from non-hazardous through to very high risk. Makes prioritisation simple.
"Everything your HSE inspector expects to see, in one place."
Understand who's exposed, how they're exposed, and for how long
Identify all potential routes of exposure to each hazardous substance:
Record frequency of use (daily, weekly, occasional), duration of exposure per task, and estimated level of exposure. Essential for accurate risk rating.
Track against statutory WELs set by the HSE. Record long-term (8-hour TWA) and short-term (15-minute STEL) exposure limits. Flag when monitoring is required.
Identify specific job roles, departments, or individuals exposed. Flag vulnerable groups such as young workers, pregnant workers, or those with pre-existing conditions.
Prove the effectiveness of your control measures
Risk Ranger calculates risk scores automatically using the standard Likelihood x Severity matrix, both before and after control measures are implemented.
Score the inherent risk of the substance without any controls in place. Based on hazard classification, exposure route, frequency, and duration.
Score the risk after implementing your hierarchy of controls. Shows the real-world risk your workers face with controls in place.
Visual comparison showing the percentage reduction in risk. Flag whether the substance is "adequately controlled" based on residual risk level.
"Show your HSE inspector — or your insurance provider — that your controls are working."
The HSE's hierarchy of control — built into every assessment
Risk Ranger guides you through the hierarchy of control, ensuring you consider the most effective measures first — from elimination down to PPE as a last resort.
For each control, track implementation status, effectiveness rating, responsible person, and review date. Never lose sight of what needs checking.
Never miss a health surveillance appointment
Some hazardous substances require ongoing health surveillance — regular health checks to detect early signs of work-related ill health. COSHH Regulation 11 makes it mandatory for certain substances, including respiratory sensitisers, carcinogens, asthmagens, and substances with specific health surveillance requirements in their SDS.
Flag substances requiring health surveillance. Record surveillance type (skin checks, lung function tests, biological monitoring), frequency, and the legal basis.
Record next surveillance due date, last surveillance date, and responsible person. Track which workers require surveillance for each substance. Get reminders before appointments are due.
Store details of your occupational health provider or appointed person. Know who to contact, how to book appointments, and where records are kept.
"Never miss a health surveillance appointment — protect your people and stay compliant."
Fast access to critical emergency information when it matters most
Every COSHH assessment includes emergency procedures tailored to the specific substance. When someone is exposed, time matters — Risk Ranger gives you instant access to the right first aid and emergency response.
Route-specific first aid instructions from the SDS. Separate guidance for inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion exposure.
Step-by-step procedures for small and large spills. Includes containment measures, neutralisation methods, clean-up procedures, required PPE, and disposal requirements.
Fire hazards, suitable extinguisher types, and unsuitable extinguishing media. Flash points, auto-ignition temperatures, and special firefighting precautions.
Quick access to emergency contact numbers, locations of spill kits, eyewash stations, safety showers, and first aid equipment.
COSHH doesn't exist in isolation — it connects to everything else
COSHH is a statutory requirement. Track it alongside fire safety, electrical safety, and other compliance obligations.
Link chemical hazards to your general workplace risk assessments. Reference COSHH assessments in task-specific risk assessments and method statements.
Create chemical storage inspection checklists. Check LEV systems, PPE condition, spill kit contents, and SDS accessibility during routine inspections.
Common questions about COSHH assessments
A COSHH assessment is a documented assessment of the risks from hazardous substances in the workplace. It identifies what hazardous substances are present, who might be exposed and how, what the health effects could be, what controls are in place to prevent harm, whether those controls are adequate, and whether health surveillance is required. It's a legal requirement under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
COSHH assessments should be reviewed at least annually, or sooner if there's a significant change in work practices, the substances used, the quantities used, the way the substance is used, or following an incident or near miss. You should also review assessments if new information becomes available about health effects or if health surveillance detects signs of work-related ill health.
GHS pictograms are part of the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. They are standardised hazard symbols used worldwide to warn of specific hazard types. Common pictograms include the flame (flammable), skull and crossbones (acute toxicity), exclamation mark (irritant, harmful), corrosion (corrosive to skin and eyes), health hazard (serious health effects like carcinogen or respiratory sensitiser), and exploding bomb (explosive). In the UK and EU, GHS is implemented through the CLP Regulations.
Yes, many common cleaning products contain hazardous substances such as bleach (sodium hypochlorite), acids, alkalis, and solvents. If a product has a hazard warning label with GHS pictograms (like corrosive, irritant, or harmful), it is hazardous to health and requires a COSHH assessment. Even seemingly mild products can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, or serious harm if used incorrectly or mixed with other products. Don't assume that because it's a household name, it's safe — assess it.
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