Hi, I work as a consultant and quite a few of my clients are SME's. Some use some hazardous substances, maybe 4 or 5. The unfortunate thing is that the suppliers for the products always issue SDS instead and when I ask them for a COSHH assessment the usual answer is "we send the same to others and its no problem2. Is there somewhere i can get COSHH assessments for free??

COSHH Essentials on the HSE website is a "COSHH assessment for dummies".

What type of consultant are U as if you are a H&S practitioner I advise that you re look at what your expertise areas are? MSDS's are but only one of the tools used in creating a COSHH R-Assessment

As already pointed out, suppliers are only required to provide MSDS sheets with their products. It's the employers duty is to assess the risk to health arising from the substances hazardous to health used in the workplace by carrying out a COSHH assessment.

With Clairel and Bob on this one. The HSE website offers a few sample COSHH assessments that may be a helpful start for small businesses: http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/riskassess/index.htm

I don't want a dummy doing my COSHH assessment I want a competent person please HSe was damn stupid describing this as such.

No.

It is Kate not HSE that describes COSHH Essentials as COSHH for dummies. They say: "COSHH ESSENTIALS Easy steps to control health risks from chemicals About COSHH Essentials COSHH Essentials has been developed to help firms comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). "

I'd like to point out that i know full well the requirements of a COSHH assessment - what i am looking for is the template (FOR FREE) or an alternative one from the one I have, to see if I can improve on what i do at the moment. I think, and i dont think its unreasonable that suppliers should provide advice and guidance to anyone using their products on how to complete a COSHH assessment. After all they produce the substance!! As for anyone questioning my or anyone elses competence is just amateurish and one of the reasons why many safety professionals are reluctant to use this forum!

based on the words of your OP our assumptions were entirely reasonable

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In your original post you didn't ask for COSHH templates for free you asked for COSHH assessments for free. Two different things entirely. Especially in the contect you wrote your original post. If you offer us accurate information we will try to give you accurate advice. As to the comment about chemical suppliers offering information on how to do a COSHH assessment, that is a debateable point that you may wish to raise on a different thread. I'm sure you'd get many responses.

I never said I was perfect. I mis-typed a word. How childish.

Why the emphasis on safety data sheets? These are for CHIP not COSHH. Take a look at section 6-1 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This requires the supplier to provide information about how his product can be used safely for the purpose for which it has been supplied. This is quite a different requirement that for the safety data sheet. Safety data sheets usually only show those substances that have been classified as hazardous, i.e. have been allocated risk phrases/hazard statements. There are literally thousands of chemicals not so classified that will not usually show on the safety data sheet but that in use can cause problems. For risk assessments for COSHH it is the hazard presented by the substance as used and the resulting hazard (not what has been purchased and/or delivered) that is important. A supplier would need to visit your premises and see for themselves what is happening in order to inform you on this. Chris

BOD You have e-mail Chris

HSE's COSHH Essentials is based on the concept of "Control Banding" and is generally a very good technique for which one can apply as a tool for most chemicals. It can also be used for re-assurance that your control measure are at least minimum required, although you may have better controls. The technical basis for COSHH essentials: Easy steps to control chemicals;- http://www.coshh-essenti....uk/assets/live/CETB.pdf It may be better if the above is understood prior to making sweeping comments about COSHH Essentials. HSE was the first organisation globally to deploy a control banding tool that has now been adopted by several international & national bodies, including ILO-Worksafe. Background information for developing an ILO policy framework for hazardous substances--Document for discussion at the Meeting of Experts to Examine Instruments, Knowledge, Advocacy, Technical Cooperation and International Collaboration as Tools with a view to Developing a Policy Framework for Hazardous Substances:- http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp...document/wcms_160746.pdf The report on page 28, para 78 of informs of "Control banding: The internationalization of a national standard" and goes on to state "........ On the basis of close collaboration between the ILO and the HSE during the development of the GHS, the ILO initiated the transposition of the COSHH Essentials Manual into an international tool. The project is currently carried out under the umbrella of the IPCS. This is an example of the use of national tools as models for the development of internationally agreed technical standards......" I am proud that HSE has undertaken such sterling work and is now recognised internationally for the COSHH Essentials tool .

I'd like to suggest a new year resolution for all safety practitioners. How about relocating our professionalism? Judging by the number of Mod interventions lately this is something we should re visit me things?

#33 should read methinks at the end. Oh for an edit facility !