Hazardous Substances and COSHH Flashcards

What does a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provide for a hazardous substance?

Answer: Comprehensive information on hazard properties, safe handling, storage, and emergency measures

Safety Data Sheets contain 16 mandatory sections covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, firefighting, handling, storage, exposure controls, and emergency procedures.

Silica dust generated from cutting concrete, stone, or brick on construction sites is classified as:

Answer: A hazardous substance capable of causing silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a Group 1 human carcinogen that can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; it requires robust controls under COSHH.

What is the purpose of biological monitoring under COSHH?

Answer: To measure the amount of a hazardous substance or its metabolites in workers' bodies

Biological monitoring measures substances or their breakdown products in biological samples such as blood or urine, indicating the actual amount that has been absorbed into the body regardless of the route of entry.

Which of the following substances is most commonly associated with occupational asthma in construction?

Answer: Isocyanates found in spray paints, lacquers, and adhesives

Isocyanates are the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK, requiring strict exposure controls including supplied-air respirators when spraying.

Under COSHH Regulations, health surveillance is required when:

Answer: There is a valid technique to detect the disease and exposure creates a reasonably foreseeable risk of that disease

Health surveillance is required where there is an identifiable occupational disease or adverse health condition linked to the work and a valid, reliable means of detecting it exists.

A site manager discovers solvents stored in unmarked containers. What should they do?

Answer: Ensure all containers are properly labelled with product name and hazard information before work continues

COSHH and CLP Regulations require all containers holding hazardous substances to be clearly labelled with the product identity and relevant hazard information; work should not continue until this is rectified.

What is the Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for a hazardous substance?

Answer: The maximum concentration permitted over any 15-minute reference period

The STEL is a 15-minute time-weighted average concentration that must not be exceeded during any 15-minute period, even if the 8-hour WEL is not exceeded.