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Hi Good afternoon colleagues, One of the engineering company I deal with uses less hazardous substances onsite mainly Mineral oils, Coolants White Spirit, Detergents and Bleach. I would like someone to assist me with a Qualitative COSHH Assessment methodology and I will be highly obliged. Edited by user 08 February 2018 12:59:10(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user
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1 user thanked JohnW for this useful post.
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Originally Posted by: JohnW
Always look at the process you are doing. You don’t COSHH assesses substances as such just the task they are involved in.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel Originally Posted by: JohnW
Always look at the process you are doing. You don’t COSHH assesses substances as such just the task they are involved in.
I would add to that how they are handled and stored should also be in your COSHH assessment.
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Rank: Super forum user
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You also don’t need a separate COSHH assessment for each substance you are storing for example. I would not store incompatibles together but the main thing is to make sure that;
- You store minimum quantities
- You keep the storage area tidy
- Make sure that you(and your staff) know what you have in your inventory
- Rotate the stock
- Get rid of surplus reagents
- Have a plan for spillages etc
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Rank: Super forum user
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The risk assessment has to be based on the task and the chemical hazards that are present when the task is carried out - not what you take out of storage! This is covered in the current ACoP for COSHH:
Paragraph 10 - Employers should regard a substance as hazardous to health if it is hazardous in the form in which it may occur in the work activity. A substance hazardous to health need not be just a chemical compound, it can also include mixtures of compounds, micro-organisms or natural materials, such as flour, stone or wood dust.
In fact, any substance can become a hazard to health, even water, depending upon the circumstances. The same chemical can present different hazards when used for different tasks.
So: Start with the task - what happens during the task - what chemicals are used during the task and how are they used - what is the resultant hazard - what exposure is there and what can be the consequences.
Chris
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