Posted By Alison Dando
Get an HSE book catalogue (phone up for one they're free) and look for their leaflets. They do two, one on why you need a data sheet and reading product labels, or do your own handout.

It rather depends to what level you are teaching COSHH and what you are trying to tell them. Is it COSHH as the whole subject, is it just spill procedures?

With assessors I put together a training pack that they can take away with them, this includes leaflets, what COSHH is all about, how to do risk assessments, examples of some, they do one also as part of their training- all this they can use for reference. That is the only handout that I use. Managers get a video (telling them their responsibilities)and some OHPs, other staff get a differen COSHH video (about trying to keep them out of harms way i.e. do's and don'ts) and some OHPs. Their next training are copies of the COSHH RAs as teaching aids and they are shown how to read them and why the information is there. Induction Day is powerpoint with colours and clip art. Know your target audience!

There is a problem with handouts, a small number of staff will keep them but the rest - just think, how long do YOU take to read the election pamphlets that come through your front door? You may be better forgetting about handouts and just make up COSHH files (contain the local COSHH policy, an inventory, upto date risk assessments, copies of current data sheets plus anything else that is considered relevant) for different areas that the assessors have to maintain and managers have to get their staff to read as part of the workplace induction and again after the local COSHH RAs have been reviewed by the assessor.

Posted By John Murphy
Have you perhaps considered the following as a basis for assessments:
Electronic COSHH Essentials
This is a free Internet package that anyone can use. Employers, safety representatives or employees can log on and work out what needs to be done to control chemicals in their workplace.
http://www.coshh-essentials.org.uk

John