COSHH Training: Why is it Important?

COSHH regulations come with the purpose of minimising the risks associated with substances that could be potentially hazardous to the health of you and your team members. The purpose of COSHH is to reduce the number of people who become unwell due to being exposed to harmful substances.
 

The fact is that working in the healthcare sector can pose a variety of health concerns, with over 70,000 injuries occurring within the health and social car sector every year. To help prevent accidents from occurring, certain regulations are put in place that should be followed, these include the regulations for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
 

There’s a lot more to these regulations than you might think - understanding them can be tricky at times. That’s why we have put together this post, to ensure that when it comes to COSHH regulations, you understand what they mean, why they’re important, and how you can ensure that you comply with them.

 

What exactly are COSHH regulations?
 

Simply put, COSHH regulations are legal rules that employers must follow to protect their team members from potentially hazardous substances. In a care environment, this may mean keeping team members safe from dangerous cleaning chemicals, bodily fluids, or medical drugs.
 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the governing body that ensures these regulations are met. When a company fails to stick to these rules, they are putting themselves at risk of hefty fines or even, in more serious cases, imprisonment.
 

Regardless of what area of the health and social care sector, taking COSHH seriously from the get-go is crucial. If you fail to adhere to these regulations, not only are you putting yourself and your team members at risk of harm, but you are also risking a serious fine or time in prison. Everyone on your team should understand what COSHH is and how it impacts their role at work.

 

What needs to be done to comply with COSHH?
 

There are a number of steps that must be taken to comply with COSHH, these include:
 

• Knowing how to identify a potential health hazard
• Being able to competently carry out a risk assessment
• Providing safeguarding equipment to minimise risk
• Providing team members with effective training and information about the risks and how to minimise them
• Having an emergency plan in place

 

To ensure that you comply with COSHH, you will need to keep an eye on any aspect of your work that could be a potential hazard. A vital oart of this is monitoring the products that are used within your facility and what hazard they could potentially pose to you and your team.
 

If chemicals that have hazard warning on them are used at your place of work, it’s vital that all team members are properly trained in what each label means and how to stay safe when using that chemical. They should also be made aware of the potential risks that each chemical poses.

 

What makes COSHH training so crucial?
 

COSHH training is vital because it’s a key part of complying with COSHH regulations, it’s also important for keeping your team members safe. If your care facility uses potentially hazardous substances, providing COSHH training is a must.
 

This training should include how to use protective equipment effectively, how to monitor hazards, and how to spot a potentially dangerous substance.

 

Protective equipment from CLH
 

COSHH regulations state that you must provide your team members with protective equipment if potentially dangerous substances are being used. Here at CLH, we stock a wide range of protective equipment designed with COSHH in mind, from medical aprons and masks to disposable gloves.