What is a Hazardous Materials Risk Assessment

Unlike a generic risk assessment, a hazardous substance risk assessment, also known as a Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH) risk assessment, specifically identifies and assesses the potential hazardous substances that could cause harm to people within the workplace, members of the public and the surrounding environment. 

A hazardous substances COSHH risk assessment allows duty holders to effectively minimise the potential risks and manage any residual hazardous substances  risks through implementing preventative measures and safe systems of work, in compliance with the EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits.

Your COSHH risk assessment can cover hazardous substances including:

• Stand alone chemicals
• Products containing chemical
• Dusts (existing or dusts generated by works on site)
• Fumes, gases, and vapours

The COSHH regulations 2002 do not include asbestos, lead, or radioactive substances. These hazardous substances have specific regulations and risk assessments that must be used when managing these substances on your site.

Your COSHH risk assessment should cover these five steps as outlined by the HSE:

1. Identify the hazardous substances and potential exposures
2. Decide who might be harmed and how (your employees, your contractors, members of the public, or the environment)
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions (using qualitative or quantitative measures to identify the level of risk and the likelihood that someone will be harmed by the risk)
4. Record your significant findings
5. Review your COSHH assessment whenever changes to the situation or workplace environment occur and update the recorded risk levels where required

Why should you use an external Risk Assessment Consultant?

Conducting COSHH risk assessments, implementing your risk aversion measures and reviewing their effectiveness on site can be a time consuming process for you and other duty holders, especially if the safety procedures and COSHH assessments aren’t fit for purpose from the start. 

To ensure your team and contractors are protected from potential risks and get it right first time, procuring an expert COSHH Risk Assessment Consultant can save you time and money. By building the correct health and safe systems of work (SSOW), ensuring your documentation is correct, and implementing effective control measures, unnecessary exposures, pollution and further contamination can be avoided or managed.

What Risk Assessment services can our consultants provide you?

We work closely with you and your team to create a system of effective controls to help you manage your hazardous substances risks. From assessment through to control measures implementation and review, our consultants tailor your documentation and processes to your project needs and operations.

• COSHH Risk Assessment
• COSHH Writing Services
• COSHH Substances Evaluation
• Comprehensive COSHH Compliance Support

One size does not fit all. Our team of consultants can provide bespoke health and safety packages to suit your needs to ensure you get the most out of the services we provide.

What are my responsibilities?

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002 covers a multitude of hazardous substances. Duty holders are required to take proactive steps to mitigate and reduce exposures to hazardous substances that may affect an individual’s health. Taking the appropriate measures to prevent unnecessary risks and harm to yourself, your teams, contractors and visitors and achieving compliance is both your and our goal. 

Our hazardous materials and substances consultants help you achieve compliance and safeguard your teams through following strict controls and conducting thorough COSHH risk assessments. Through Lucion Services Environmental team, experts in hazardous material testing and inspection, we can deliver surveying and analysis services, giving you the knowledge to be able to implement effective safe systems of work that will ultimately protect you, your organisation and your people.

Partner with a holistic environmental services supplier. Click 'Make an Enquiry' now or give our team a call on 0345 5040 303.