Legal & Compliance Library

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

Requires employers to control exposure to substances that can harm health, such as chemicals and dusts.

Scope

Controls exposure, not just storage

COSHH requires employers to assess the risk from hazardous substances and put in place adequate controls, covering exposure — not simply how a substance is stored.

Exposure, the real focus

Duty

Applies wherever hazardous substances are used

Any workplace using, storing or generating substances hazardous to health — chemicals, dusts, fumes, biological agents — falls within scope, regardless of the quantity involved.

Any hazardous substance, in scope

Practice

A register that shows what's controlled and reviewed

Good COSHH practice generally means a substance-by-substance register with review dates and Safety Data Sheets kept current, not a folder of loose SDS printouts.

Reviewed, not just filed

This page is an educational, plain-English summary — it is not legal advice and must not be relied on as a substitute for the legislation itself or advice from a competent person. Always refer to the official source for the authoritative text.

What it covers

COSHH requires employers to assess the risks from hazardous substances, prevent or adequately control exposure, maintain and use control measures correctly, and monitor exposure where appropriate.

Who it applies to

Any workplace using, storing or generating substances hazardous to health (chemicals, dusts, fumes, biological agents).

How SafetyOps supports compliance

SafetyOps' COSHH module maintains a substance register with review status tracked by location, with Safety Data Sheets linked through the Document Centre.

Explore the related module →

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