Posted By Ken Chappell Good Morning forum users. We are currently carrying out a review of our companies COSHH Assessments. This has caused much debate as to whether they are actually suitable. Would any forum users be kind enough to e-mail me directly and I will then forward a COSHH assessment for WD40 to your goodself. Hopefully you will be able to provide me with your comments as to your opinion of our COSHH assessment. I have chosen WD40 as I imagine it will be a fairly common substance and the majority of people will have an assessment for it. Perhaps forum users would like to e-mail me a sample COSHH assessment for WD40, this will help me decide whether ours is good bad or indifferent. Many thanks in anticipation. Kind Regards, Ken Chappell

Posted By Lumpy Is this a "significnat risk". Consider volume used (spraying 1-2ml, or do you empty the can in one go?), where is it being used (ventillated, again depending on volume used), proximity to ignition sources etc. I doubt this would be a significant risk, but you know what you use it for and what the exposure potential is. Lumpy

Posted By Lumpy Dave, I hear what you are saying, but even if WD40 does not carry a warning label, would you want to inhale a can full? Remember COSHH is about hazard and risk, and while WD40 may be a low hazard, it could constitute a risk if the exposure potential is high. Lumpy.

Posted By Gary L In old money, WD40 had an OES 100ppm (white spirit) & 600ppm (Butane). As yet, I haven't checked the exposure levels under the new system. Depending on the degree of exposure WD40 "may" cause (amongst other things) anaesthesia, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, drying of skin or irritation, redness of eyes or chemical pneumonitis. In which case, I would say that if it is used frequently in workshops, the risk would be significant. Having said that, I think Ken was actually looking for help with the format of his assessments, not specifically for WD40. I have e-mailed you directly an audit checklist you may find useful Regards, Gary

Posted By Innes Gray ? is a true WD40 or a product Simmler to WD40

Posted By Dave Wilson Just to clarify and this is straight from COSHH a Brief Guide "For the vast majority of commercial chemicals, the presence (or not) of a warning label will indicate whether COSHH is relevant. For Example there is no warning label on ordinary house hold wsshing-up liquid, so if it is used at work you do not have to worry about COSHH; but there is a warning label on bleach, and so COSZHH does apply to its use in the workplace. WD40 does not have any hazard signs as required by CHIP therefore No COSHH required.

Posted By Paul Leadbetter While my aerosol of WD40 has no CHIP orange squares on, the MSDS (http://www.wd40.co.uk/media/adobe/WD40%20aerosol%20datasheet.pdf) contains risk phrase R66 (and R10) and users are warned of the aspiration hazard although risk phrase R65 is not specified on the MSDS. Mind you the MSDS refers to exposure limits in EH40/97 so it is about time it was updated. Therefore, despite the apparent lack of CHIP data on the can, I think a COSHH assessment would be required if WD40 was being used at work. The MSDS for the non-aerosol version (http://www.wd40.co.uk/media/adobe/WD40%20bulk%20liquid%20datasheet.pdf) bears the 'harmful' CHIP pictogram and risk phrases R65 and 66 (and R10); a COSHH assessment is, therefore, required if this is used at work. Paul