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Bill6152  
#1 Posted : 15 January 2024 08:03:06(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Bill6152

Can I ask, does anyone use the HSE COSHH essentials site for their Coshh assessments, if so how do you find it? Is it straight forward to use?  Thanks  

HSSnail  
#2 Posted : 15 January 2024 09:32:05(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

Bill, as an ex inspector it probably wont surprise you to know I use COSHH Essentials. HOWEVER you have to recognise its limitations.

  1. It only works where a risk phrase or health phrase has been assigned, and as we all know that not true of all products, (they tell me water is the biggest cause of occupational dermatitis in wet work, and all beauty products are exempt from CHiP)
  2. It assumes you use the product every day
  3. Data sheets are notorious for not containing boiling point or vapour pressure
  4. The ways you use the product is not always clear – surface coating for example is an industrial process not wiping a surface with a cloth or applying with a paint brush – these are both classed as transferring.
  5. It takes every exposure as individual – so say you are using 2 skin sensitizers in a day it does not allow you to combine the exposure.

 

So you are probably asking yourself what the point is – well at least it is based on the actual use not just the chemical, and if it comes up with natural ventilation as main control it allows you to concentrate your efforts in areas where it is suggesting greater controls are needed.

I would be very wary of using COSHH essentials in a work environment with lots of exposure to multiple chemicals.

Bill6152  
#3 Posted : 15 January 2024 09:36:00(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Bill6152

HSSnail, thanks for the reply and information , its appreciated 

thanks 1 user thanked Bill6152 for this useful post.
Martin Fieldingt on 15/01/2024(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#4 Posted : 15 January 2024 12:57:20(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

You do have to ask who has dropped the ball on this one - Risk Phrases & Safety Phrases?

The classification of substances and mixtures that occurred under the Dangerous Substances Directive and Dangreous Preparations Directive covered by CHiP changed when CLP was adopted from June 2015.

Current Safety Data Sheets list Hazard Statements and Precuationary Statements

There is also a complete absence in this tool of the EUH statements which only ever existed under REACH.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
HSSnail on 15/01/2024(UTC), HSSnail on 15/01/2024(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#5 Posted : 15 January 2024 12:57:20(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

You do have to ask who has dropped the ball on this one - Risk Phrases & Safety Phrases?

The classification of substances and mixtures that occurred under the Dangerous Substances Directive and Dangreous Preparations Directive covered by CHiP changed when CLP was adopted from June 2015.

Current Safety Data Sheets list Hazard Statements and Precuationary Statements

There is also a complete absence in this tool of the EUH statements which only ever existed under REACH.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
HSSnail on 15/01/2024(UTC), HSSnail on 15/01/2024(UTC)
HSSnail  
#6 Posted : 15 January 2024 13:01:30(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit Go to Quoted Post

You do have to ask who has dropped the ball on this one - Risk Phrases & Safety Phrases?

That would be me - did a quick answer and made the mistake of not using the correct terminolgy - but at least i did not say COSHH Sheets!

Roundtuit  
#7 Posted : 15 January 2024 13:06:51(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Originally Posted by: HSSnail Go to Quoted Post
did a quick answer and made the mistake of not using the correct terminolgy

Can't complain about what you said - the Risk Phrases are the ones that appear in the e-tool for selection and ideally should have been completely replaced by the correct Hazard Statements some time ago.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
HSSnail on 16/01/2024(UTC), HSSnail on 16/01/2024(UTC)
Roundtuit  
#8 Posted : 15 January 2024 13:06:51(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Roundtuit

Originally Posted by: HSSnail Go to Quoted Post
did a quick answer and made the mistake of not using the correct terminolgy

Can't complain about what you said - the Risk Phrases are the ones that appear in the e-tool for selection and ideally should have been completely replaced by the correct Hazard Statements some time ago.

thanks 2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
HSSnail on 16/01/2024(UTC), HSSnail on 16/01/2024(UTC)
Kate  
#9 Posted : 15 January 2024 18:36:51(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kate

I don't personally use it, but have directed others to use it precisely because it is straightforward to use.  Of course it has limitations (and it acknowledges them, for example when something comes out as hazard class E, the most hazardous, it tells you to get specialist advice) but as an initial assessment it is better than many other so-called COSHH assessments I've seen.

HSSnail  
#10 Posted : 16 January 2024 07:52:34(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
HSSnail

Originally Posted by: Roundtuit Go to Quoted Post

Originally Posted by: HSSnail Go to Quoted Post
did a quick answer and made the mistake of not using the correct terminolgy

Can't complain about what you said - the Risk Phrases are the ones that appear in the e-tool for selection and ideally should have been completely replaced by the correct Hazard Statements some time ago.

It has given you the option of either or risk or hazard for some time. But your right its been a while since i have seen a risk phrase used on a data sheet - well overdue an upgrade.

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