Hazardous Substances and COSHH Flashcards

Under COSHH Regulations 2002, what is the first step a manager must take when dealing with hazardous substances on site?

Answer: Carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks

COSHH Regulations require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before any work with hazardous substances begins, as control measures cannot be properly selected without first understanding the risks.

What does COSHH stand for?

Answer: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, the main piece of UK legislation for managing chemical and biological hazards at work.

Which of the following is NOT a recognised route of entry for hazardous substances into the body?

Answer: Exposure to ionising radiation

The three main routes of entry for chemical hazardous substances are inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion; ionising radiation is a separate type of physical hazard, not a chemical route of entry.

What is a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL)?

Answer: The concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air, averaged over a specified reference period

WELs are airborne concentrations of hazardous substances set by the HSE to protect workers' health, expressed as time-weighted averages over 8-hour or 15-minute reference periods.

Under COSHH, when must a COSHH assessment be reviewed?

Answer: When there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or there has been a significant change

COSHH assessments must be reviewed whenever there is reason to believe the assessment is no longer valid or when there has been a significant change in the work, substances used, or working conditions.

Under COSHH, which hierarchy of controls should a manager apply when managing hazardous substances?

Answer: Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE as a last resort

The COSHH hierarchy starts with elimination of the substance and ends with PPE as the least preferred option, consistent with general health and safety risk management principles.

Which GHS/CLP pictogram indicates a substance is harmful or an irritant?

Answer: Exclamation mark

The exclamation mark GHS pictogram is used for substances classified as harmful, irritant, or causing skin/respiratory sensitisation at lower hazard levels.