When Was the Last Time You Actually Read Your COSHH Assessments?
Many COSHH assessments are created during implementation and then simply filed away, quietly gathering dust in a folder nobody opens again until an inspector asks to see it.
Meanwhile:
- Products change
- Suppliers change
- Processes change
- Teams change
- New starters join without ever seeing the original assessment
- Old stock is used up and replaced with something entirely different
But the assessment remains exactly the same, frozen at the point it was written and no longer reflecting what is actually happening on site.
Quick COSHH Spot Check
Can you confidently answer:
- Where are Safety Data Sheets stored?
- Are they current?
- Do employees know the hazards?
- Is appropriate PPE available?
- Are control measures being followed?
- Have assessments been reviewed recently?
- Would a new starter know where to look if they had a concern?
If you hesitated on even one of these, you are not alone – and it is exactly why a spot check is worth doing now, rather than waiting for an incident or an HSE visit to force the question.
The Biggest COSHH Myth
“We only use cleaning products.”
This is one of the most common phrases we hear, and one of the riskiest, because it implies low risk. Many workplace illnesses originate from substances considered routine or low risk. Dermatitis, occupational asthma and other respiratory conditions rarely follow a single obvious incident – they build gradually, through everyday contact nobody thought to question.
Examples include:
- Cleaning chemicals
- Solvents
- Adhesives
- Disinfectants
- Paints
- Dusts and fumes
The danger often comes from repeated exposure rather than a single incident. A splash that causes no visible reaction today can still be doing damage that only shows up months, or years, later.
Kingfisher Insight
The strongest COSHH systems do not focus purely on paperwork. Compliant-looking files will not protect anyone if nobody on the shop floor understands what is actually in them.
They focus on ensuring employees understand:
- The hazard
- The exposure route
- The controls
- What to do if something goes wrong
Ask any employee these four questions about the chemicals they use daily, and their answers will tell you more about your real level of protection than any completed form ever could.