The importance of COSHH training within the workplace

COSHH, short for control of substances hazardous to health, is an absolute must for anyone handling cleaning chemicals in a professional setting. It's not just a suggestion, but a legal obligation. COSHH training is designed to educate individuals on the importance of following a set of strict guidelines to guarantee the safety of both the user and the surroundings. Regrettably, in the past, such precautions were not always taken seriously.

Time Before COSHH

Step into the time machine and travel back to the 1960’s, 70’s, and early 80’s, where a shocking number of accidents took place due to the absence of any proper regulations for companies to follow. Imagine a world where companies played by their own rules, leaving their employees vulnerable to hazardous substances and devoid of proper protective gear. Alarmingly, there were no consequences for unscrupulous employers, as the law turned a blind eye to such wrongdoings. This was the time of ‘full blame, no shame’.?

Revolutionary Change For A Safer Future

Gone are the days of negligence and uncertainty with the transformation that unfolded in the late eighties. The Health & Safety Executive took charge, leaving no room for compromise, releasing regulations that held every player in the industry accountable with COSHH regulations emerging in the autumn of 1988.

Fast forward to today, and these regulations have become an integral part of the Health & Safety at Work Act of 1974. They are the backbone of every company's commitment to safeguarding their workforce and thankfully, regular COSHH training has become a non-negotiable requirement for all those handling cleaning chemicals in commercial settings.

However, even today despite the new regulations coming into play, we still unfortunately hear the odd story where chemicals have been misused.?In some cases, chemicals are erroneously drunk from unmarked bottles or accessed from unlocked cupboards.?More commonly, we often see incorrect usage of chemicals either by mixing different chemicals together or diluting a chemical to the wrong dosage, both of which can create a great risk to the user and surroundings.??

Thankfully all professional chemicals must now carry a safety data sheet which outlines the PPE required, any first aid treatment in the event of an accident, what the cleaning chemical is designed for and much much more!

Who Is Responsible For What?

The Employer - Employers who do not undertake chemical risk assessments or fail to provide staff with COSHH training or the necessary PPE (as outlined within the safety data sheet) to their staff which results in accidents due to negligence, may face significant fines.

The Manufacturer - Manufacturer's negligence in providing inadequate packaging and labelling for a chemical product can lead to accidents and subsequent imposition of substantial fines.

The Employee - Staff members have been found guilty in the past of negligence for experimenting with chemicals and engaging in pistol fights using trigger sprays containing acid products, resulting in severe eye injuries to their colleagues. Consequently, these individuals have been fined heavily due to their own negligence.

Serious accidents must be reported to the HSE for investigation and to help prevent future disasters.

Domestic vs Professional - All Chemicals Are Not Created Equal

So why is it that when we clean our own home, we are not bombarded with messages alerting to the need for COSHH training, safety data sheets or personal protective clothing?

There is a common misunderstanding that the chemicals we use in our homes are the same as those used for the commercial sector, even if they are branded the same.?In the main, this is not the case.?Chemicals produced for the commercial market tend to be formulated differently to contend with larger surface areas and the frequency and speed at which an area becomes dirty.?Take for example, your own toilet at home.?The average person may use their home toilet perhaps 6-7 times in a 24-hour period.?If you then think of the number of people within a commercial or public sector all frequenting the washroom at the same average rate, the need for cleaning is intensified.?Consequently, stronger or more effective chemicals are needed. ?Putting it simply, the toilet cleaner you use at home is unlikely to be the same toilet cleaner recommended to be used at work.

Looking for assistance with your COSHH and cleaning chemical requirements in the workplace? Drop us an email and we'll gladly provide you with all the information you need.

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