Diesel exhaust COSHH assessment example
Filled COSHH assessments for the substances and dust on site. Read one, download it, then do your own from the blank or from your data sheet.
Get the blankChoose a substance or task
- Wet cement, mortar and concrete on a house refurbishmentBricklaying and small pours. The risk is skin: dermatitis and burns.2 pages, checked 2 November 2026
- Petrol for a cut-off saw and generatorRefuelling small plant on site. Fire first, then what is in the vapour.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Diesel for a dumper, generator and space heaterNot the same as petrol: a different hazard entry, skin first, and oil storage rules.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Sodium hypochlorite cleaner in the welfare cabinCleaning the toilet and cabin. Burns to skin and eyes, and gas if mixed.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Washing-up liquid and general detergentsThe right answer is a low-risk record, not a two-page assessment.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Aerosol penetrating lubricantA small can with an extremely flammable propellant, used in tight spaces.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Cutting blocks, kerbs and flags with a cut-off sawMade by the work, so no safety data sheet comes with it. Lung disease is the risk.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Sanding and sawing softwood, hardwood and MDFSecond-fix joinery. An asthma risk, and hardwood is also a cancer risk.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Solvent gloss paint and white spirit on a house refurbishmentBrushing doors and trim, then cleaning brushes. A flammable liquid with a vapour and skin risk.2 pages, checked 2 November 2026
- Hydraulic oil on a mini excavator and breakerTopping up and changing a split hose. Low hazard on the sheet, but a pinhole jet can go through skin.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Cutting and sanding plasterboard on a drylining jobMade by the work, so no safety data sheet comes with the dust. Low in silica, but sanding makes a lot of it.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Solvent contact adhesive for sheet flooring and worktop laminateSpreading adhesive in a small room. Fire first, then the solvent vapour.2 pages, checked 2 November 2026
- Generator and dumper exhaust at a partly enclosed basementMade by the work, so no safety data sheet comes with it. Worst in an enclosed space, or with blue or black smoke.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- Gun-grade PU foam around window framesA few cans a few times a year. A bead from a gun, not a spray. The isocyanate can cause asthma, and the can is extremely flammable.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
- A COSHH register for a house refurbishmentEvery product and dust on the job, one line each, pointing to its assessment. It does not replace them.1 page, checked 2 November 2026
Diesel exhaust COSHH assessment example
Generator and dumper exhaust at a partly enclosed basement
Made by the work, so no safety data sheet comes with it. Worst in an enclosed space, or with blue or black smoke.
What to change
- Your plant, its smoke and how long it runs
- Your air in: a confined space needs its own assessment
- Who works down there, and for how long
Sources
- HSE: diesel engine exhaust emissions (INDG286)
- HSE: control of diesel engine exhaust emissions (HSG187)
- HSE: cancer and construction, diesel exhaust
- HSE: EH40/2005 workplace exposure limits
Checked
The same sheet as text
Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.
COSHH Task Assessment
Hollins & Reed Contracting Ltd
- Project or siteBasement fit-out, Block B
- TradeGroundworks
- Date assessed5 October 2026
- Assessment refCA-013
What the work makes
- TaskRunning plant
- Material workedDiesel engines
- Dust or fume madeDiesel engine exhaust
- Tool usedGenerator, 1 tonne dumper
- WherePartly enclosed basement
- How long a shiftDumper up to 2 hours a day
Exposure limit
- WEL, 8-hourNone for exhaust. CO 20, NO2 0.5 ppm
- WEL, 15-minuteCO 100, NO2 1 ppm
- Monitoring resultCO2 640 ppm, an indicator
- Measured on2 October 2026
Who could be harmed
- Driver, everyone in the basementPeople doing it: yes. Others nearby: yes. Cleaners, fitters: no. Visitors, public: no. Higher risk: no
Health effects
- Irritates eyes and airways. Long exposure, above all to blue or black smoke, can cause coughing and breathlessness.
- Repeated exposure over many years can increase the risk of lung cancer.
Controls
- Another methodIn place: Generator outside, exhaust away from the fan. Still needed: Price an electric dumper.
- On-tool extractionIn place: Not used on the dumper.
- Water suppressionIn place: Not used on exhaust.
- Room ventilationIn place: Fan blows fresh air in. Ramp doors open.
- Fewer, for less timeIn place: Engine off when idle. One dumper down at a time.
- Clean-upIn place: Soot on walls means control is failing: stop.
RPE: type and filter
- Not used. RPE is the last resort.Disposable: no. Half mask: no. Powered: no. Face-fit tested: no. Eye protection: no
Also needed
- Exposure monitoringYes: yes. No: no. Detail: CO2 meter. Over 1000 ppm: stop, check fan. Next due: Weekly
- Health surveillanceYes: no. No: yes. Detail: None required for exhaust. Irritation: stop.
- LEV examinationYes: no. No: yes. Detail: None used.
- TrainingYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Smoke colours, engine off, fan, soot. Next due: Before start
Further action
- Dumper serviced, no blue or black smokeWho: DH. By when: Before start
- Fan and CO2 meter on siteWho: DH. By when: Before start
Sign-off
- Assessed byDan Hollins
- Date5 October 2026
- Next review5 October 2027
What a filled COSHH assessment shows
Five things, in this order.
The substance and its H codes
From the supplier’s sheet, with its date. The sheet is your source; the form records what you did with it.
The work: how much, how often, how long
What is done, where, how much, how often and how long. The same product can be a different risk on a different job.
Who and how it gets in
The person doing it, anyone nearby, anyone at higher risk, and the routes in.
Controls in regulation 7 order, then PPE
Avoid it first, then change the method, extract, limit, and only then gloves and masks.
What else is needed and when it is reviewed
Monitoring, health checks, extraction tests and training, each with a date, then a review date.
Two ways to do your COSHH assessment
By hand on this form, or starting from the data sheet.
Paper sheet
- Fill it by hand or on screen
- You read the sheet yourself
- Each new product starts blank
SDS to Excel converter
- Start from the supplier’s PDF
- Get a hazard summary to work from
- It reads the sheet; the assessment is still yours
COSHH example questions
Is this the assessment for my product?
No. Each one is a typical substance on a made-up job. Yours needs your supplier’s sheet, your amounts and your people.
Why no brand names?
Formulas differ and change, so no example speaks for a company’s product. If you searched for Fairy or WD-40, the washing-up and aerosol examples are the closest. Read the sheet for the one you hold.
Where do the numbers come from?
Hazard codes from the GB mandatory classification list where it has an entry, and exposure limits from EH40. Controls follow HSE guidance where HSE has a sheet for the task, and general practice where it does not. Each example lists its sources.
Can I copy an example?
Use it to see the level of detail, then write your own from your sheet. A form copied unchanged is not an assessment of your work.
Which form for a low-risk product?
The low-risk record, as in the washing-up example. If a label warns of more than eye or skin irritation, or you use it neat for long, use a full assessment instead.
Does it cover asbestos or lead?
No. Both have their own regulations, and COSHH does not apply to them in the same way. Take specialist advice.
Where is the blank?
On the COSHH assessment template, with your logo and the sections you need.