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Posted By p winter
Good afternoon I have a query about coshh and it seems likely others will have been through this.
We have assessments for our inventory of hazradous substances - mainly paints, lubricants and cleaners/solvents which are based on the MSDS and our application/ use of the substances. There are other substances on the premises which we have not considered hazardous - eg washing up liquid, supermarket sourced cleaners - none of which are marked as being hazardous. We have now been advised these substances also require assessments - to prove we have considered them and they are not hazardous. Where does one draw the line? What does everyone else do?
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Posted By Bob Youel
Your supplier should provide you with the CHIP SDS at point of or before sale - then go from there
If you let staff nip to the corner shop to buy products you are leaving yourself wide open
Its interesting that the most hazardous ingredient re the average toilet air freshener is not the substance that kills the smells and cleans but the one that gives of the 'fresh' smell e.g. pine etc and this part of the product has been shown to be particularly hazardous in certain circumstances
all our toilet room cleaners are now of the none smelling type so we get complaints that the areas are not clean when in fact they are - its just that they do not smell of anything in particular!
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Posted By Jim Masson
Cleaning fluids are one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of the COSHH scheme.
In use, they may not be truly hazardous, but many of them in the concentrated form are nasty.
Bleach, scale remover, oven cleaners, concentrated detergents are all materials which I would do a complete assessment for, also the environmental effects of any spillage.
I'm a chemist by training and some of the products available from the supermarket shelves for domestic use are capable of causing some quite severe burns.
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Posted By Chris Packham
The basic question you need to ask is: "What is a substance hazardous to health?"
Having asked this, go to the ACoP on COSHH and look at the definition for a substance hazardous to health. Take particular note of paragraph (e) - any substance depending upon its toxicological and chemical properties and the way it is present or used at the workplace.
Under certain circumstances this could include water. In fact, wet work is the most common cause of occupational contact dermatitis.
Since you will probably not find a safety data sheet on water (for this Google dhmo) or find it listed on your safety data sheets, can you rely on the safety data sheet (which in general will only list substances in the Approved Supply List)? For the answer read paragraph 13 of the COSHH ACoP.
As I keep stating on this forum, safety data sheets are written for CHIP, not COSHH. I frequently am asked to get clients out of a hole because their risk assessment has been based on the safety data sheet and showed insignificant risk, whereas the truth was very different.
Risk assessment for COSHH (particularly for skin exposure) needs to be done for every chemical, otherwise you might miss something significant.
Chris
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Posted By Chris Packham
One point I missed in my last posting is that the risk assessment has to be done on the chemical "as used" and not "as supplied". The two can be very different as we dilute, mix, react, contaminate the original chemical.
In a recent case a client had a product (epoxy impregnated carbon fibre mat) where the inpregnant contained a potent sensitiser - as shown on the safety data sheet. This rang alarm bells. However, investigation showed that the sensitiser was so well bound into the material that none was being released in use, i.e. it was not bioavailable and therefore not a hazard.
So again: Caution when using safety data sheets for risk assessment.
Chris
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Posted By Melanie Fellows
I work for a metal coating company and we have quite a few COSHH assessments which now require reviewing/ updating. For which I'm trying to get onto a COSHH assessment training course (to no avail).
If anyone knows of a suitable course in the North West, or if anyone would be able to take a look at one of our current COSHH assessments with a view to pointing me in the right direction so I can at least make a start on reviewing them whilst waiting for a suitable course to go on I would be very grateful.
Thanks,
Melanie
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