Silica dust 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
Silica dust COSHH assessment example
Cutting blocks, kerbs and flags with a cut-off saw
Made by the work, so no safety data sheet comes with it. Lung disease is the risk.
What to change
- Your material, tool and how long
- Your water supply or extraction
- Who is near the cutting, and their fit tests
Sources
- HSE: cutting blocks, paving and kerbstones (CN6)
- HSE: construction dust (CIS36)
- HSE: health surveillance for silica (G404)
- 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 siteHouse refurbishment, House 7
- TradeGroundworks
- Date assessed5 October 2026
- Assessment refCA-007
What the work makes
- TaskCutting blocks, kerbs, flags
- Material workedConcrete block, kerb, flags
- Dust or fume madeRespirable crystalline silica
- Tool usedCut-off saw with water feed
- WhereOutdoors, marked cutting area
- How long a shiftAbout 2 hours in short runs
Exposure limit
- WEL, 8-hourRCS 0.1 mg/m³, respirable
- WEL, 15-minuteNone listed
- Monitoring resultNot measured
- Measured onNot measured
Who could be harmed
- Operator, labourers nearbyPeople doing it: yes. Others nearby: yes. Cleaners, fitters: no. Visitors, public: no. Higher risk: no
Health effects
- Silicosis, COPD and lung cancer: permanent disability and early death. The dust is too fine to see.
- Dust on the skin and long contact with water may cause dermatitis.
Controls
- Another methodIn place: Fewer cuts. Block splitter where it will do. Still needed: Order cut kerbs and flags next.
- On-tool extractionIn place: Not used on this saw.
- Water suppressionIn place: Water on the diamond blade. Collect the slurry.
- Room ventilationIn place: Outdoors. Cut downwind of others.
- Fewer, for less timeIn place: Only the operator in the cutting area. Still needed: Powered RPE if over 1 hour at a go.
- Clean-upIn place: Hose down, wet brush. No dry sweeping.
RPE: type and filter
- APF 20: disposable FFP3. Waterproof trousers.Disposable: yes. Half mask: no. Powered: no. Face-fit tested: yes. Eye protection: yes
Also needed
- Exposure monitoringYes: no. No: yes. Detail: Only if the water fails or dust escapes.
- Health surveillanceYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Questionnaire, lung function, chest x-ray, skin. Next due: Baseline
- LEV examinationYes: no. No: yes. Detail: None used.
- TrainingYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Water feed, clean shaven for RPE, clean-up. Next due: Before start
Further action
- Book baseline health checks before exposureWho: 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.