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Five-step COSHH assessment template

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Read the data sheet Turn an SDS PDF into a hazard summary
COSHH AssessmentProject or siteDate assessedReview bySubstance or taskThe hazardWhat harm, and whoWhat you do alreadyWhat more is neededWhoWhenCheckedAssessed bySignedDateShared with workers onUNCONTROLLED COPY IF PRINTED

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Which COSHH form do you need

One-page assessmentOne substance on one side of A4.Two-page assessmentA fuller record: hazards, then controls.Dust and fumeFor what the work makes, with no SDS.Five-step tableA row for each hazard, then who and when.Low-risk productsSeveral low-risk products on one record.COSHH registerEvery product on the job, one line each.Briefing recordWho has been told, and when.

What a COSHH assessment form includes

  • Substance and SDSThe product, supplier and data sheet date.
  • The workThe task, where, how often and how long.
  • Hazards (H codes)What the data sheet says it can do.
  • How it gets inBreathing in, skin, eyes, swallowing, puncture.
  • Who could be harmedThose doing it, and those nearby.
  • Health effectsWhat it does to people.
  • Controls, in reg 7 orderAvoid it first. PPE comes last.
  • PPE and RPEThe type, the standard and the filter.
  • Storage and wasteWhere it is kept and how it goes.
  • If it goes wrongSpills, fire and first aid.
  • Also neededMonitoring, health surveillance, training.
  • Further actionWhat, who and by when.
  • ReviewWhen, why and what changed.

HSE sets no fixed form; these follow regulation 6 and the L5 code.

Two ways to do your COSHH assessment

By hand on this form

Take the form, print it and write it up from what you know of the job.

Back to the form

Start from the data sheet

Put in the supplier’s PDF and get a hazard summary and a workbook. It reads the sheet; the assessment is still yours.

Open the SDS tool

COSHH assessment questions

Is it free?

Yes. There is no account and no email to give. The files are made in your browser.

What should a COSHH assessment cover?

The substance, how people could be exposed and for how long, the health effects, the controls, further action and a review date. COSHH regulation 6

Do I have to write it down?

With five or more employees, yes: you must record the significant findings and the steps you took. With fewer, HSE still advises writing down how you identified the risks. HSE

Does this form do the assessment?

No. It is blank and holds only what you write. The judgement on your own work stays with you, or with someone competent to make it.

Can several products go on one form?

Only low-risk ones, as the Low-risk products sheet does. Anything riskier needs a fuller record. HSE L5

What about dust and fume from the work?

They count too, and they come with no safety data sheet. Use the Dust and fume sheet, which starts from the task.

How often should a COSHH assessment be reviewed?

Regularly, and straight away if it may no longer be valid, the work changes significantly, or monitoring shows it is needed. COSHH regulation 6

Does it cover asbestos or lead?

No. They have their own regulations, which apply in place of COSHH where they cover the work. COSHH regulation 5

Is my logo uploaded?

No. It is read and resized on this device and goes only into the files you download, or save to your own Drive or OneDrive. The last design, logo included, is kept in this browser for next time.