Hydraulic oil 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
Hydraulic oil COSHH assessment example
Hydraulic oil on a mini excavator and breaker
Topping up and changing a split hose. Low hazard on the sheet, but a pinhole jet can go through skin.
What to change
- Your supplier’s sheet and date: a sheet may print its own exposure figure
- Your machine, how much and how often
- Who tops up and who changes hoses
Sources
- HSE: hydraulic injection injury
- HSE: high pressure fluid injection hazards
- HSE: contact dermatitis (INDG233)
- HSE: EH40/2005 workplace exposure limits
Checked
The same sheet as text
Worked example. Typical product. Your supplier’s safety data sheet governs.
COSHH Assessment
Hollins & Reed Contracting Ltd
- Project or siteHouse refurbishment, House 7
- Assessment refCA-010
- Date assessed5 October 2026
Substance
- Product or substanceHydraulic oil, mineral
- Supplieryour supplier
- SDS dateyour sheet’s date
- Form (liquid, dust…)Oily liquid
The work
- TaskTopping up, changing hoses
- WhereOutdoors, machine on level ground
- How often, how longWeekly, about 10 minutes
- Amount, used withUp to 5 litres, nothing mixed in
Hazards (H codes)
- None on most sheets.Harmful or irritant: no. Corrosive: no. Toxic: no. Serious health hazard: no. Cancer or asthma: no. Flammable: no
How it gets in
- Skin, mist, jet through skinBreathing in: yes. Skin: yes. Eyes: yes. Swallowing: no. Puncture: yes
Who could be harmed
- Fitter, anyone nearbyPeople doing it: yes. Others nearby: yes. Cleaners, fitters: no. Visitors, public: no. Higher risk: no
Health effects
- A jet from a pinhole leak can go through skin and look like nothing. Without quick treatment it can cost a limb, or a life.
- Repeated contact with oil can cause dermatitis. No EH40 limit for oil mist.
Controls
- Avoid or swap itIn place: Fitter changes hoses. Operator only tops up. Still needed: Add hoses to the daily check.
- Change the methodIn place: Engine off, boom down, pressure released first.
- Extract at sourceIn place: Not needed: outdoors, engine off.
- Fewer, for less timeIn place: Never feel for a leak by hand. Use card. Still needed: Card kept on the machine.
- Washing, welfareIn place: Soap and water at the cabin. Change oily clothes. Still needed: Skin cream at the cabin.
PPE: type or standard
- Nitrile gloves, safety glasses, overalls.Gloves: yes. Eye protection: yes. RPE: no. Overalls: yes. Boots: yes
If it goes wrong
- Spill or leakEngine off. Spill kit, keep out of drains, bag as hazardous waste.
- FireRaise the alarm, ring 999. Foam, CO2 or powder extinguisher only if safe.
- First aidJet through skin: hospital now, even if it looks small. Say hydraulic injection injury.
Further action
- Spill kit, card and skin cream 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.