Guidance on use of the COSHH Risk Assessment Form.

Introduction. This guidance has been written to assist staff when completing the COSHH Risk Assessment Form.

Section Guidance Departmental Complete your Department, Name, Job title and telephone contact details. and Assessors details Task/process Briefly describe the task or process that is being assessed. Include all relevant parts of the process where exposure may occur. The type of information required includes purpose of the work, reaction type (if relevant), the type of process (e.g. distillation, filtration etc), location of the work and a breakdown of all stages of the work that are to be assessed including operations where by-products may be produced. Substance and Substances: All substances, by-products and end products must be clearly exposure identified. Include common synonyms and where relevant the physical details table state. IUPAC names can usually be found in Sections 1 & 2 on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided by the supplier. Quantity: Approximate maximum. Hazard Class: CHIPS classification for chemical substances e.g. toxic, corrosive, sensitiser etc. The criteria for classification of biological agents is detailed in Schedule 3 of COSHH 2002. Classification ranges from Group 1 (unlikely to cause human disease) to Group 4 (causes severe human disease and is likely to spread in the community). The biological agent hazard groups are reflected in the minimum containment level requirements. For example, activities with Group 2 biological agents requires Level 2 containment. WEL: Workplace Exposure Limit, relate to concentrations in air and are detailed in Sections 8, and/or 15 (sometimes section 11) of the MSDS or Publication EH40. These limits must never be exceeded. NOTE: Not all substances have a designated WEL. There are no WEL’s for biological agents. Exposure route: identifies how the substance may enter the body. There may be more than one possible exposure route for each substance. Gases and liquids may be inhaled and absorbed through the skin. Substances may also be ingested due to poor personal hygiene practices like not washing your hands after handling a hazardous substance. Injection usually occurs by accident in the form of a hypodermic needle stick injury. Frequency & Duration: Consider the worst case. Information on the frequency and duration of exposure will assist in deciding which controls are required. Known Health Effects: Information can be found in sections 2/8/11 of the MSDS, occupational health reports, reference literature such as Sax’s or Sigma Aldrich and the internet. However, anecdotal evidence is just as important, learn from experience. Risk and safety (R & S) phrases may also indicate adverse health effects. Results of Health Surveillance and Exposure Monitoring: If any has been undertaken it should be available from your Line Manager or the SHE Section. Also, if there is any evidence or a known history where people have been affected by a particular substance, make a note of these occurrences in this section. Control Aim - to prevent exposure to the hazardous substance(s). Measures Hierarchy approach  Eliminate  Substitute  Reduce

0eb0a54d65b554c9fd4591bb5fda8665.doc Section Guidance  Isolate (glovebox, by distance)  Engineering control (LEV, Fume cupboard, damp process for dust suppression)  Personal Protective Equipment (last resort) Section 8 of the MSDS may provide some guidance. Consider stability & reactivity – see section 10 of the MSDS. Guidance documents may include:  COSHH Essentials (HSE publication)  HSE Guidance documents, most are freely available at www.hse.gov.uk, or Available from HSE Books  Manufacturers instructions / container label instructions  British standards  Relevant institutions (e.g. BOHS) DON’T FORGET: For each control measure you implement you must ensure that you provide appropriate INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION, TRAINING and SUPERVISION in their use. Emergency First Aid requirements can be found in section 4 of the MSDS. arrangements Fire extinguisher advice can be found in section 5 of the MSDS. and spillage or Information on dealing with spillages can be found in section 6 of the release MSDS. procedure Also consider any local emergency procedures relating to spillage or uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances. Find out where spillage equipment is stored. Waste Hazardous Waste disposal – refer to procedure FM HSE 016. Section 5.3 Disposal https://intranet.uclan.ac.uk/ou/fm/sustainable-development/Pages/Waste- and-Recycling.aspx Persons Persons likely to be exposed will primarily be staff and students. However, exposed consider ALL! Including those who may not be directly connected to the work. E.g.  Cleaners  Maintenance engineers, contractors  Security  Office staff Additional Consider: risks  The effects of non-routine events (such as equipment breakdowns) and precautions required to protect those who may not be directly involved with the work;  Relevant physical hazards such as fire, pressurisation, mechanical hazards etc;  Referring to existing procedures such as; o Decontamination certificates o Overnight operating permits, o Storage requirements o Transport and movement of containers o Operating procedures for autoclaves, centrifuges etc.  The cumulative, additive or synergistic effects of the substances involved.  Pregnant workers, nursing mothers or people with existing medical conditions may be more susceptible to the effects of exposure.  Unexpected, adjacent or non-routine activities such as maintenance work may pose additional risks.

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