Fellow Members, I've recently been assigned with an internal stores operation into my responsibilities and would welcome a view please regarding COSHH responsibilities for the inventory. It's a fairly large operation dealing with everything construction related and the supply of petrol and diesel to the vehicle fleet (on the same site). We use SYPOL as the database for COSHH information and my specific question is am I required to COSHH assess every item which we carry or can I take a risk based view and only assess those products which would be hazardous through poor storage, handling or spillage. I know that's vague in terms of products, volumes and environment, but do I really need to COSHH assess washing up liquid which sits on a shelf in standard sized bottles and is issued to cleaners? Thanks in advance of your comments.

I agree with Badger. In my previous organisation one of the "older" employees (a labourer) was retained for the last three years of his employment to tidy the workshops, wash the floor of the canteen, have tea ready for squads arriving in at lunchtime and wash the cups and plates (with a very well known brand of washing up liquid). The premises manager carried out a COSHH assessment for it and all of the other material used in the building, using the MSDS from the maunfacturers. A month after the employee retired, he lodged a claim for dermatitis, citing the washing up liquid. He was awarded a SUBSTANTIAL amount, as the MSDS for the washing up liquid stated "wear rubber gloves"; that had also been included in the COSHH assessment. That requirement had never been enforced, even though the stores department carried many boxes of such gloves. The retired employee claimed that he didn't understand the COSHH assessment as he had never been trained in COSHH (unfortunately true).

Max COSHH assessments should be process-based; the risks from storage of unopened packages and receptacles are minimal (or should be). However, you must remember to consider emergencies, such as spillages or leaks. LB

I would add any necessary segregation due to incompatibility in your assessment. Labelling of bottles and packages cannot be relied upon, and I recently had to intervene when I found conc. nitric acid and glacial acetic acid happily sharing a (bunded) shelf in our Stores.

Max, I fully support your sensible and proportionate approach in a stores situation, and would disagree with some other respondents here. Your biggest risk is inadvertant spillage, & even then the most likely problem would be a slip hazard, not occupational exposure. You'll have some segregation issues to consider (seperating oxidisers from flammables for example). To be frank, I think SYPOL will be more of a hindrance than a help for you in a stores context. You can bet your bottom dollar that Tesco or Morrisons don't go to such COSHH extremes, and neither should you -rather apply the more general principles of risk assessment. I think you're thinking is along the right lines. Fuels (diesel and petrol) are a bit more of a specialist DSEAR area and I'm guessing you'll have above and below ground storage, dispensers and tanker deliveries to manage. All a bit specialist, but lots of guidance out there and you've no doubt inherited some decent systems and procedures for this. On a related matter, issuing of MSDS (to the user) can be a real pain for some organisations, and it is more effective if you can set up contractual requirements with your suppliers to ensure MSDS are available on their websites, and you then point your people to that resource. No reason these days to be attempting to maintain hard copy MSDS, or to attempt to issue a copy with each order. When any new or subsitute hazardous products are being considered (via COSHH application) tp be brought in to the organisation, then you should be part of these early discussions to ensure that storage/transport is part of that initial assessment process.