Rank: Forum user 
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Hi, I admit I am a little rusty on COSHH and see that the new EH40 was out today. Just in simple terms, what do the changes mean and how do I apply the information into the substances that we use. Recommendations on a suitable COSHH training course would be good too. Many thanks!
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Rank: Super forum user
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi,
The changes have been made simply to bring in some additional substances, and also to alter the amount of exposure to some substances already included in the last edition, so that's what the changes mean. The requirments under COSHH remain the same
In terms of training most training providers will offer some courses, try your chemical supplier see if they can offer something as part of the service. However this will always be general training, the most important training is the job specific training in relation to your assessments.
Hope this helps!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Thanks for posting about this.
The changes to exposure limits are listed in the foreword.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks, it was more about how I interpret the figures for each substance that confuses me.
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Rank: Super forum user
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The figures only really become meaningful as figures if you measure the exposure to the substances in order to compare against the limits. Do you do any measuring?
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Rank: Super forum user
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That is why ( impractical to measure exposure all the time, although you could have re-assurance exposure measurements , also depends upon the type of control measures) HSE's COSHH essentials using the control banding concept is good and can be widely used.
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Rank: New forum user
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I'm new to these discussions but having an interest in chemical safety, having been an Occupational Hygienist for a number of years, now lapsed due to job change, I tend to be drawn to these subject titles. I mention this because I am shocked at the cavalier attitude towards managing chemicals and worker health by some forum users.
If somebody need to refer to EH40 because of the substances their company uses and exposure monitoring shows a significant % of the WEL then considerably more than a COSHH training course will be needed to remove confusion and to be competent to control the risks.
You will first need training in taking the measurements, of course. If you need to do measurements first, that is, because the risk might need immediate action, and then sample, or not, because it might be obviously okay when the controls are in place.
What's a significant % of a WEL?
Air samples - Who? what for? When? How many?
What do the results mean?
what has to be done ongoing?
It’s all a matter of competent professional judgement, and quite bit more than the well-meaning advice offered here.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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spylon wrote:
It’s all a matter of competent professional judgement, and quite bit more than the well-meaning advice offered here.
?
I thought the advice was OK to be fair... the poster merely indicated they need a better understanding of the terminology in EH40 - I would advise that this may prompt them to seek the advice of a competent person and they might not need to understand the sampling methods involved?
Surely the % under a WEL is irrelevant, the HSE state that the WEL sets a point at above which the substance may present a risk to health. So if you are below it, surely you are below it and demonstrating adequate control (unless of course it's an asthmagen, sensitiser or carcinogen)
Why would the poster need to be trained in taking measurements?
I agree a CoSHH assessment needs to be completed by a competent person but that was not the original question... lets keep it on topic.
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Rank: New forum user
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I would advise that this may prompt them to seek the advice of a competent person and they might not need to understand the sampling methods involved?
Surely the % under a WEL is irrelevant, the HSE state that the WEL sets a point at above which the substance may present a risk to health. So if you are below it, surely you are below it and demonstrating adequate control (unless of course it's an asthmagen, sensitiser or carcinogen)
Why would the poster need to be trained in taking measurements?
I agree a CoSHH assessment needs to be completed by a competent person but that was not the original question... lets keep it on topic.
Fair comment that it may prompt going to a competent person.
air-sampling is not an exact science, confounding factors, expected and unexpected sampling errors, normal variation in time, tasks, environmental conditions, etc. mean that any one sample is only part of distribution curve (usually log). We worked, as a general rule of thumb, that any measurement above 30% of WEL requires a statistically significant number of samples to demonstrate that workers health was not unduly put at risk. The 30% rule varied if the level of hazard so required.
Agreed that no training in sampling needed if someone else does it, I was pointing out that "COSHH training" wouldn't be enough to deal with the sampling raised by other posters.
The poster asked how they should interpret the figures for each substance - "On topic" is an explanation of why interpreting EH40 and using it in the workplace is not simple. another poster pointed out the samping is needed for the figures to be meaningful.
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Rank: Super forum user
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:)
That's a much better answer and addressed some of the issues posed!
Apologies for a harsh reply from me at first but too many people question competence without any knowledge to back it up, comments like that stop people posting and we loose a resource!
I fully understand the complexities of air monitoring (chemist specialising in breath alcohol detection by background), it's how we relate this other that's important
One thing that I'm always asked by small firms is that they have done a CoSHH assessment and the chemical has a WEL. What do they do.
That's where it gets difficult and where Jay's post suggested a resource that 'might' help was useful, it was unfair to assume he is not competent from one line!
It's all to easy to think that every poster is on a large plant with a Occ health support team and a mulit million pound safety budget - but alas that isn't always the case.
Welcome to the forums by the way :)
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Rank: Forum user
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In repsonse to the OP, I've recently attended the IOSH CPD course "Modern CoSHH Management" which was excellent and very informative.
It's not a beginners course, more of a refresher and introduction to how CoSHH should be managed as opposed to the traditional aproach of MSDS stashing.
Geoff Hornby was the tutor (isac.co.uk) and was excellent.
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