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Wood 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.

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Wood dust COSHH assessment example

Sanding and sawing softwood, hardwood and MDF

Second-fix joinery. An asthma risk, and hardwood is also a cancer risk.

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What to change

  • Your timber: hardwood sets the limit for a mix
  • Your tools and extraction class
  • Who is in the room, and their fit tests

Sources

Checked

  1. COSHH Task AssessmentHollins & Reed Contracting LtdProject or siteHouse refurbishment, House 7TradeJoineryDate assessed5 October 2026Assessment refCA-008What the work makesTaskDust or fume madeWhereMaterial workedTool usedHow long a shiftSawing, sanding joinerySoftwood, oak, MDFMixed wood dust, inhalableMitre saw, orbital sanderIndoors, one room set asideAbout 3 hoursExposure limitWEL, 8-hourMonitoring resultWEL, 15-minuteMeasured onMixed 3 mg/m³, softwood alone 5None listedNot measuredNot measuredWho could be harmedPeople doing itOthers nearbyCleaners, fittersVisitors, publicHigher riskJoiner, others, cleanerHealth effectsAsthma and dermatitis. Hardwood dust can also cause a rare nasal cancer.Keep exposure as low as reasonably practicable, even under the limit: these cause asthma and cancer.ControlsIn placeStill neededAnother methodOn-tool extractionWater suppressionRoom ventilationFewer, for less timeClean-upPre-cut, pre-finished timber where you can.Order pre-finished skirting next.H or M class unit on saw and sander.Not used on wood.Windows open, door shut to other rooms.Only the joiner in the room while cutting.Class M vacuum. No dry sweeping or airlines.RPE: type and filterDisposableHalf maskPoweredFace-fit testedEye protectionAPF 20: disposable FFP3.Also neededYesNoDetailNext dueExposure monitoringHealth surveillanceLEV examinationTrainingOnly if dust escapes the extraction.Asthma questionnaire, skin checks.BaselineExamined at least every 14 months.Dec 2026Extraction, clean shaven, clean-up.Before startFurther actionWhoBy whenCheckedBook baseline health checks before exposureDHBefore startBook the extractor’s examinationDH30 Oct 2026Assessed byDan HollinsSignedDate5 October 2026Next review5 October 2027Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.

The same sheet as text

Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.

COSHH Task Assessment

Hollins & Reed Contracting Ltd

  1. Project or siteHouse refurbishment, House 7
  2. TradeJoinery
  3. Date assessed5 October 2026
  4. Assessment refCA-008

What the work makes

  1. TaskSawing, sanding joinery
  2. Material workedSoftwood, oak, MDF
  3. Dust or fume madeMixed wood dust, inhalable
  4. Tool usedMitre saw, orbital sander
  5. WhereIndoors, one room set aside
  6. How long a shiftAbout 3 hours

Exposure limit

  1. WEL, 8-hourMixed 3 mg/m³, softwood alone 5
  2. WEL, 15-minuteNone listed
  3. Monitoring resultNot measured
  4. Measured onNot measured

Who could be harmed

  1. Joiner, others, cleanerPeople doing it: yes. Others nearby: yes. Cleaners, fitters: yes. Visitors, public: no. Higher risk: no

Health effects

  1. Asthma and dermatitis. Hardwood dust can also cause a rare nasal cancer.
  2. Keep exposure as low as reasonably practicable, even under the limit: these cause asthma and cancer.

Controls

  1. Another methodIn place: Pre-cut, pre-finished timber where you can. Still needed: Order pre-finished skirting next.
  2. On-tool extractionIn place: H or M class unit on saw and sander.
  3. Water suppressionIn place: Not used on wood.
  4. Room ventilationIn place: Windows open, door shut to other rooms.
  5. Fewer, for less timeIn place: Only the joiner in the room while cutting.
  6. Clean-upIn place: Class M vacuum. No dry sweeping or airlines.

RPE: type and filter

  1. APF 20: disposable FFP3.Disposable: yes. Half mask: no. Powered: no. Face-fit tested: yes. Eye protection: no

Also needed

  1. Exposure monitoringYes: no. No: yes. Detail: Only if dust escapes the extraction.
  2. Health surveillanceYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Asthma questionnaire, skin checks. Next due: Baseline
  3. LEV examinationYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Examined at least every 14 months. Next due: Dec 2026
  4. TrainingYes: yes. No: no. Detail: Extraction, clean shaven, clean-up. Next due: Before start

Further action

  1. Book baseline health checks before exposureWho: DH. By when: Before start
  2. Book the extractor’s examinationWho: DH. By when: 30 Oct 2026

Sign-off

  1. Assessed byDan Hollins
  2. Date5 October 2026
  3. 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
See SDS to Excel converter

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.