Rank: Forum user 
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We've been using a COSHH assessment database under license for a few years now. My concern is the huge expense year on year. Does anyone have experience of going back to basics, no/little cost, no thrills COSHH assessments/SDS database.
We are a very large organisation with sites nationally. I personally say keep going, but I just need to build a business case to either keep going with a license agreement or not.
Your thoughts are very welcome..
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Rank: Super forum user
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Initial thoughts...
How much do your 'CoSHH' processes change? i.e. will there be a large time/man-hr cost in undertaking frequent CoSHH assessments? Can this be compared to the license version you have?
Will they all be done to a similar level of competence / training given to those who need it?
If your CoSHH processes don't change much and are already well controlled - then periodic reviews will be required.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Is the system capable of dealing with the changes in information arising from REACH/CLP having replaced CHiP?
Does the system access data directly from the ECHA dossiers?
How many substances/mixtures and site specific applications does the system handle?
Bit hard to gauge how complex your question is based on "large organisation with sites nationally" - you could be a chemical company with lots of records or a hotel chain with less than 100
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Rank: Super forum user
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Is the system capable of dealing with the changes in information arising from REACH/CLP having replaced CHiP?
Does the system access data directly from the ECHA dossiers?
How many substances/mixtures and site specific applications does the system handle?
Bit hard to gauge how complex your question is based on "large organisation with sites nationally" - you could be a chemical company with lots of records or a hotel chain with less than 100
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Rank: Super forum user
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You post begs the questions “Why do you need a COSSHH database in the first place?” It’s not one of those “magic” applications that churns out “risk assessments” when you enter a substance name into it? If so, save your money and use it to train your staff to do their own risk assessments, which are relevant to the work that they’re actually doing rather than some generic twaddle. Those documents can be managed using a generic document management system.
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Rank: Super forum user
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If your COSHH database is merely to record the risk assessments you have made, then it may be useful. If it actually performs the risk assessment based on the data you have input, then I suspect that a critical examination would reveal that many of your risk assessments are invalid, particularly where skin exposure to chemicals is concerned.
A risk assessment for skin exposure does not start with the safety data sheet. This only provides limited information. There are literally thousands of chemicals that, in contact with the skin, can cause damage but which have never been assigned a relevant hazard statement and will therefore not appear on the safety data sheet. There are now over 4,300 chemicals known to be skin sensitisers, only a minority of which will have been classified as H317.
Furthermore we purchase chemicals to use and in using them it is common that we change their characteristics (contamination, mixing, reacting, oxidisation, etc.) and thereby also the hazard. So the risk assessment starts with identifying the task, the chemicals used during that task, how they are used and the resultant skin hazard. This means that the risk assessment starts in the workplace.
Unless the hazard is correctly identified then how will you ensure that the risk to health has been properly assessed?
To confirm this take a look at paragraph 237 of the sixth edition of the ACoP for COSHH.
Chris
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