Hi, I am considering purchasing a software package or online service for managing CoSHH assessments. Does anyone have any recommendations for good products/ services? For those of you that don't use in-house systems, what software or service have you purchased?

Hello, would you be willing to share? Also looking at this, anything would help. If not, no worries...

Sypol - Run a search on the internet. Very reasonable in cost and very comprehensive.

If what you are seeking is a system to record COSHH assessments then a computerised system can be fine. If you are considering COSHH assessments done by computer then I would be very worried. I have seen external consultants provide COSHH assessments without ever having visited the site and studied the actual activities. None of these were what I would call a valid COSHH assessment but more a regurgitation of the safety data sheet. A COSHH assessment needs to reflect what actually happens when one or more chemicals are used. I can show many examples of COSHH assessments where the same chemical represents different hazards, and thus different risks and control requirements, when used for different tasks within the same workplace. I can also show COSHH risk assessments where none of the chemicals representing health risks were actually shown on or subject of a safety data sheet. One of these in a food processing plant is actually quoted in the HSE guidance. In one manufacturer, where I was asked to investigate several cases of occupational contact dermatitis not one COSHH assessment, provided at considerable cost by an external consultancy, reflected the true hazard and risk and two were responsible for the actual contact dermatitis as they had not taken into account the actual use and exposure. Chris

I would also Recommend Sevron, superb package that you control. They obtain and update the MSD Sheets for you, the database can store your files both as Individual chemicals and Risk Assessments. We found the best way to use the system was to follow a process rather than highlighting individual chemicals, although you can do both. Regards

Sent PM ref Sypol

The number of chemicals is not really the significant factor. It is a common error to consider first the chemicals. For a start there are thousands of chemicals that can become a hazard when used but, since they have not been allocated a risk phrase/hazard statement, will not appear on a safety data sheet but that, should exposure occur, can cause problems such as occupational contact dermatitis. This is covered by regulation 2(1) of COSHH, sub-paragraph (e). COSHH is about the hazards and risks that arise when you use chemicals, so a proper COSHH assessment needs to concentrate upon each task, identify the chemicals being used and how they are being used (so as to determine the real hazard), the exposure that is occurring (or could occur), and the consequences arising from such exposure. I can show you situations where the same chemical was not a hazard in one task but a significant hazard in another in the same workplace, simply because of the way it was being used. So unless the organisation providing you with the COSHH risk assessments is going to visit the workplace and view the tasks to identify the true hazard and risk then I would not be confident about their risk assessments. Chris

Thanks Chris Just received. Kind of agree however could cover the PPE aspect with task assessments rather than just CoSHH but valid points nevertheless.