An introduction to COSHH Essentials - a simplified method for carrying out chemical health risk assessments developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive. Includes case studies. (Note: does not cover the limitations of this approach)

2.  A simplified approach to chemical
health risk assessments

3.  Developed by the British Health and
Safety Executive

4.  Originally intended to be used by
small businesses with limited access
to expertise

6. No longer available to
purchase as hard copy.
Assessments have to be
carried out using website

7. http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/essentials/index.htm

8. Control sheets are also
available on a wide range
of common industrial
processes at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pu
bns/guidance/index.htm

9. Specific control sheets are
also available for a wide range
of common industrial
processes at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns
/guidance/index.htm

10. The International Labor
Organisation (ILO) has
adopted COSHH
Essentials as the basis
of their “International
Chemical Control
Toolkit”

11. http://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/protection/safework/ctrl_banding/toolkit/icct/index.htm

13. 1. Assign hazard group
2. How much is used?
3. Determine dustiness / volatility
4. Identify control approach
5. Find appropriate control sheets

14. 1. Assign Hazard Group

15. Hazard group (A to E) depends on
“R phrases” assigned by supplier
and provided on the label and
safety data sheet

16. Group “A” represents low hazard
Group “E” for most serious hazards

17. Additional Group “S” for substances
that present a skin hazard

18. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

19. 1. Assign Hazard Group
2. How much is used?

20. How much is used?
Solids Liquids
Small Grams millilitres
Medium Kilograms litres
Large Tonnes Cubic metres

21. 1. Assign Hazard Group
2. How much is used?
3. Determine dustiness / volatility

22. Solids – How dusty?
Low Pellet-like solids that don't break up.
Little dust visible during use
Medium Crystalline, granular solids.
When used, dust is seen but settles out
quickly
High Fine, light powders.
When used dust clouds remain in air for
some time

23. Liquids – How volatile?
Source: ILO toolkit

24. 1. Assign Hazard Group
2. How much is used?
3. Determine dustiness / volatility
4. Identify control approach

26. Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

27. 1. Assign Hazard Group
2. How much is used?
3. Determine dustiness / volatility
4. Identify control approach
5. Find appropriate control sheets

28. Difficult to obtain other
than by undertaking an
assessment using the
website

29. ILO Task Specific Control Guidance Sheet
Source: ILO toolkit

30. ILO Task Specific Control Guidance Sheet
Source: ILO
toolkit

31. ILO Task Specific Control Guidance Sheet
Source: ILO toolkit

32. 1. Assign Hazard Group
2. How much is used?
3. Determine dustiness / volatility
4. Identify control approach
5. Find appropriate control sheets

34. Scenario 1 – Making up slurry from
cerium oxide powder

35. Scenario 1 – Making up slurry from
cerium oxide powder
A few kilograms of
powder weighed
out about 6 times
per day

36. Scenario 1 – Making up slurry from
cerium oxide powder
Added to water
and mixed to form
slurry which is used
to polish glass

37. Cerium oxide powder
 Not classified as hazardous
 Fine, dusty powder

38. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

39. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

40. How much is used?
Solids Liquids
Small Grams millilitres
Medium Kilograms litres
Large Tonnes Cubic metres

41. How much is used?
Solids Liquids
Small Grams millilitres
Medium Kilograms litres
Large Tonnes Cubic metres

42. Solids – How dusty?
Low Pellet-like solids that don't break up.
Little dust visible during use
Medium Crystalline, granular solids.
When used, dust is seen but settles out
quickly
High Fine, light powders.
When used dust clouds remain in air for
some time

43. Solids – How dusty?
Low Pellet-like solids that don't break up.
Little dust visible during use
Medium Crystalline, granular solids.
When used, dust is seen but settles out
quickly
High Fine, light powders.
When used dust clouds remain in air for
some time

44. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

45. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

46. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

47. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

48. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

58. Scenario 2
Cleaning rollers with
n-butyl acetate

59.  Sponge soaked in n-butyl acetate used to
clean screen printing rollers
 Applied manually
 Operation takes approx. 15 minutes
 Done about 4 times per day

60. n-butyl acetate
 Boiling Point: 124 -128°C
 R11 - Highly flammable
 R36 - Irritating to eyes
 R37 - Irritating to respiratory system

61. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

62. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

63. A B C D E S
R36 R20 R23 R26 R40 Muta cat 3 R21
R36/38 R20/21 R23/24 R26/27 R42 R24
R38 R20/21/22 R23/24/25 R26/27/28 R42/43 R27
R65 R21, R23/25 R26/28 R45 R34
R66 R21/22 R24 R27 R46 R35
R67 R22 R24/25 R27/28 R49 R36
All dusts and R25 R28 R36/37
vapours not R34 R40 Carc. Cat. 3, R36/37/38
allocated to R35 R48/23 R36/38
another band R36/37 R48/23/24 R38
R36/37/38 R48/23/24/25 R41
R37 R48/23/25 R42
R37/38 R48/24 R42/43
R41, R48/24/25 R43
R43, R48/25 R48/21
R48/20 R60, R48/21/22
R48/20/21 R61, R48/22
R48/20/21/22 R62, R48/23
R48/20/22 R63, R48/24
R48/21 R64 R48/24/25
R48/21/22 R48/25
R48/22 R66

64. How much is used?
Solids Liquids
Small Grams millilitres
Medium Kilograms litres
Large Tonnes Cubic metres

65. Solids Liquids
Small Grams millilitres
Medium Kilograms litres
Large Tonnes Cubic metres

66. Liquids – How volatile?
Source: ILO toolkit

67. Liquids – How volatile?
Boiling Point: 124 - 128°C
Source: ILO toolkit

68. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

69. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

70. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

71. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

72. Stage 4 – Control Approach
Source: ILO toolkit

81. Mike Slater, Diamond Environmental Ltd. (occhygiene@btconnect.com)
This presentation is distributed under the Creative Commons
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UK:International Licence