Issue 2 Procedure for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
May 2010
Scope
This procedure covers all substances hazardous to health used within Children’s
Services and establishes the arrangements to protect staff, service users, pupils and
others from the effects of chemicals, dusts, biological agents and other substances
harmful to health. This procedure should be read in conjunction with safety directive 302
and guidance note 302 of the Southwark safety reference manual.
Roles and Responsibilities
Headteachers and Managers are responsible for ensuring that assessments have
been completed for all hazardous substances within their area of responsibility and
for ensuring that suitable control measures are put in place. Specific responsibilities
include to:
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Identify and make an inventory of all hazardous substances hazardous to health
that staff, service users, pupils, contractors or members of the public are
exposed to through work activities. This includes blood-borne viruses, such as
Hepatitis B.C,D, and HIV, and other pathogens such as leptospira.
Hazard Data Sheets must be obtained from manufacturers or suppliers for each
substance identified
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Assess the risks to staff and anyone else who may be affected (e.g. visitors,
pupils, members of the public, service users etc.) by completing the COSHH
Product Questionnaire and COSHH Work Activity Form. When assessing the
risks form pathogens , establish which viruses may be present (HIV or the
hepatic viruses), where they are likely to come from, how employees may be
exposed and the estimated time of exposure
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Ensure that control measures are properly implemented, their effectiveness
monitored and a maintenance programme introduced as required
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Ensure all employees are given adequate information, instruction, training and
supervision for working with hazardous substances/possible exposure to
pathogens
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Introduce a health surveillance programme if an assessment indicates need
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Establish procedures for monitoring exposure to hazardous substances if
required
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Maintain records of all inventories, assessments, results of monitoring (if
applicable) and maintenance of control measures that are undertaken
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Review the assessments if there are any significant changes in the work, the
circumstances or the personnel. Review must be undertaken at least every years
All employees must co-operate with Headteachers/Managers on all issues
concerning the assessment process, including the implementation of control
measures
What is COSHH?
A set of Regulations, made under the Health and Safety at Work Act, introduced to
protect people from the effects of chemicals, dusts, harmful biological agents and other
substances that can harm human health.
What is a hazardous substance?
The Regulations define hazardous substances fairly widely and include the following
groups.
Chemicals
Chemicals will not feature strongly in the work of Children’s services but there may be
some on the premises in the form of cleaning chemicals, sprays and adhesives. Those
that are hazardous will have an orange and black warning label on the container
indicating their degree of harmfulness. Examples are shown below
Harmful or irritant
Toxic or very toxic
Corrosive
Some chemicals may be used in school science and careful planning/risk assessment
must be undertaken for these activities.
Dust
A substantial concentration of dust in the air is classed as hazardous regardless of the
content. This is because thick dust of any sort could harm the respiratory system.
Some fine dusts of quite ordinary substances such as wood can be harmful if there is a
lot of exposure to it.
Biological agents
These are micro-organisms that can cause disease, such as tetanus, hepatic viruses,
leptospira and legionella.
Weils Disease
Weils disease is a serious and sometimes fatal infection that is transmitted to humans by
contact with urine from infected rats. It can enter the body through cuts and scratches
and through the lining of the mouth, throat and eyes after contact with infected urine or
contaminated water.
Cleaners/premises managers or staff may be at risk if cleaning drains/ponds etc
How to prevent Weils Disease
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Get rid of rats. Do not touch them with unprotected hands
Cover all cuts and broken skin with waterproof plasters before and
during work
Wear protective clothing
Wash your hands after handling any animal or contaminated clothing
or other materials and always before eating, drinking or smoking
Substances not covered by COSHH
The following are covered by dedicated sets of regulations.
Asbestos
Lead
Non ionising radiation
Identifying substances hazardous to health
There are a range of substances (material, mixtures or compounds) regarded as
hazardous to health and they occur in many forms e.g. solids, liquids, vapours, gases,
dusts, fibres, fumes, mist and smoke. They all have the potential to cause harm if they
are inhaled, ingested or come into contact with or are absorbed through the skin
Substances hazardous to health include:
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Substances used directly in work activities and labelled as dangerous (very toxic,
toxic, harmful, corrosive, irritant, sensitising, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic
reproduction)
Substances generated during work activities
Substances assigned an WEL (work exposure limit)
Biological agents(bacteria or other micro organisms) directly connected with work
or incidental exposure
Dust of any kind, inhalable or respirable when it is present at higher concentrations in
the air
In most cases the presence (or not) of warning label will indicate whether risk
assessment is required or not.
Identify and make an inventory on the COSHH Product Inventory form
Assessing Risks
Risks levels should be determined taking into consideration the following:
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Work Activity
Name of the substances employees are likely to be exposed to (taking into
account the consequences of possible failure of control measures)
Quantity – how much of the substance is in use or produced by the work activity
Form the substance is in or is likely to change to during the work activity
Identification of where on site the substance is likely to be present
The possible routes of entry into the body
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The consequences of the exposure
Duration and frequency of exposure
Identity, category or group of employees or others
An estimate of exposure level, taking into account existing controls
Intensity and severity of exposure against workplace exposure limit
Complete the COSHH Product Questionnaire and Work Activity Form to assess
risk and to ensure that control measures are adequate
Reducing and controlling risks
It is not possible to give detailed information here on the controls that will be needed for
individual chemicals. The information should be sought as part of the process of
assessing the risks. Some general guidance is given here that you may find helpful in
considering how to protect people from harm.
Many substances, such as solvents, can be controlled by using them in a well ventilated
room. If this method is chosen make sure that there are enough windows to open to be
effective or that there is an extraction system in the room.
Another method of reducing exposure is to use a more dilute form of the substance or to
find a way of reducing the amount of time when the substance is in use.
It may be possible to reduce the numbers of people exposed to a substance by
restricting the work activity to either an individual or a small group of people.
Good hygiene is an essential control for all exposures. Make sure that anyone who is
likely to be exposed to a hazardous substance has access to good hand-washing
facilities and impose a strict no smoking, drinking or eating rule where the substance is
found.
Providing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, safety glasses or face
masks, is ALWAYS a last resort. If it is needed then everyone must be supplied with it
and its use must be strictly enforced. Advice on choosing and using PPE can be sought
from the departmental health and safety team.
The best way to prevent exposure to a hazardous substance is to replace the substance
with something that is not hazardous. Preventing exposure to pathogens is more
difficult.
Exposure to hazardous substances must either be prevented or controlled.
Where it is reasonably practicable to prevent exposure then this must be ensured. If not
then certain controls must be initiated to reduce exposure .For example, fume cupboards
in science labs, local exhaust ventilation systems on woodworking machinery should
always take precedence over masks.
Reducing risks from exposure to pathogens
Some staff may have contact with blood and body fluids. The following basic
precautions will help to reduce the risks of exposure to pathogens.
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COSHH assessments should be completed
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Avoid cuts and abrasions where body fluids may be present
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Take care in handling and disposing of sharps. Use only a purpose made sharps
disposal container
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Cover cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings and/or gloves
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Wear the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) identified by the COSHH
Assessment
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Use good basic hygiene procedures. Wash hands thoroughly with a bactericidal
cleanser. Do not eat, smoke, drink or apply cosmetics during or after coming into
contact with blood or body fluids
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Contain spills and if surfaces become contaminated use a disinfecting agent, at
the manufacturer’s recommended concentration, to decontaminate the surface.
Choose the cleaning agent carefully. Bleach will produce chlorine gas when
mixed with chlorine and some disinfectants will not be effective against bloodborne viruses
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Dispose of contaminated waste safely using yellow bags for clinical waste
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Consider Immunisation where risk assessment identifies this is required
Information and training and supervision
Training, information and supervision should include:
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The names of the substances people work with or could be exposed to and
the risks created by such exposure including access to safety data sheets
The findings of the COSHH risk assessment
The precautions they should take
The importance of reporting faults
Personal protective equipment to be used
Emergency procedures to be followed
Keep risk assessments and safety information with the substance or in the place where
it will be used. If there is an emergency, such as a spillage or a splash, the information
on how to deal with it will be needed quickly.
Monitoring exposure, health surveillance and emergency procedures
Exposure of employees to hazardous substances must be monitored and appropriate
health surveillance completed if the risk assessment indicates a need. Where necessary,
plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving
hazardous substances should be developed.
All reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that the control measures put in place are
complied with. Reporting procedures for defective equipment will also be required.
Monitoring is not needed if you can show by another method of evaluation that you are
preventing or controlling employee’s exposure to hazardous substances.
Recording and reviewing the assessment
The risk assessment findings should be recorded including any control measures and
the action employees and others need to take to ensure hazardous substances are
adequately controlled. The assessment should state when the next review is planned.
School Science
The following documents contain detailed COSHH assessments for substances and
experiments required in the science curriculum.
‘Hazcards’, produced by CLEAPSS, (the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for
the Provision of Science Services) and ‘Topics in Safety’ produced by the Association of
Science Education (ASE) Safety in Science Education, produced by the DfEE
Before planning any activities, make sure that you fully understand the hazards and how
you can manage them.
In situations which are not adequately covered by these documents CLEAPSS will, if
requested, provide a specific risk assessment. Please contact the CLEAPSS helpline if
you have any questions or need advice on 01895 251496.
Design and Technology / Woodwork
Model Risk Assessments for design and Technology in Secondary schools have been
produced by CLEAPSS, including COSHH assessments. These are available on the
CLEAPSS website.
Hardwood and softwood dusts has been assigned a Workplace Exposure Limit which
must not be exceeded.
Hardwood dust can cause cancer – particularly of the nose.
Wood dust is also an asthmagen so exposure must be reduced as low as is reasonably
practicable
Further Information:
A Step by Step Guide to COSHH Assessment. HS(G)97 HSE Books.
Topics in Safety. Association for Science Education (ASE) ISBN 0 86357 104
HAZCARDS from CLEAPSS www.cleapss.org.uk
COSHH. Guidance for Schools ISBN 0 11 885511 5
Approved Code of Practice. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 1994. ISBN 0 7176 0819 0
Safety in Science Education. DfEE ISBN 011270915x
Managing Risk Assessment in Science. L196. July 97. CLEAPSS
Risk Assessments for Technology in Secondary Schools. CLEAPSS
COSHH Essentials http://www.coshh-essentails.org.uk/about.asp
Blood Borne Viruses in the Workplace http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg342.pdf
COSHH ‘What you need to Know’ http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf