COSHH Training - Online Course The COSHH Training Online Course provides learners with the essential knowledge to understand the legal requirements governing hazardous substances in the workplace, identify the substances covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, assess and control the risks of exposure, and apply the practical measures required to protect employee health. Developed in line with HSE guidance and the current UK COSHH legislative framework, this course supports employers in meeting their legal duties to prevent or adequately control exposure to hazardous substances and ensure all staff who work with or near such substances are appropriately trained. Occupational lung disease alone kills approximately 12,000 workers in the UK every year, more than workplace accidents, yet many employers still lack basic hazardous substance controls. Hazardous substance exposure can also cause occupational asthma, dermatitis, chemical burns, long-term organ damage, and cancer. This course gives employees a clear and practical understanding of what COSHH requires, why it matters, and what both employers and employees must do to comply, making it suitable for anyone who works with, near, or is potentially affected by hazardous substances in any workplace setting. This course aligns with all primary UK legislation and guidance relevant to COSHH compliance: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended)  The primary legislation requiring employers to prevent or adequately control the exposure of employees and others to substances hazardous to health arising from work activities  Applies to any substance that is classified as very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive, or irritant under the GB CLP Regulation; any substance with an assigned Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) listed in HSE publication EH40; dust above general WEL thresholds; biological agents encountered at work; and substances generated by work processes such as welding fumes, wood dust, and flour dust  Does not apply to asbestos, lead, or radioactive substances, each of which is governed by its own specific regulations  Sets out eight key duties for employers: assess the risk; prevent or control exposure; ensure control measures are used and maintained; monitor exposure; carry out appropriate health surveillance; prepare emergency procedures; ensure employees are properly informed, instructed, and trained; and review and update assessments  Requires COSHH assessments to be reviewed whenever there is reason to suspect they are no longer valid, when work processes change, or when new substances are introduced  Breach of COSHH can result in unlimited fines and imprisonment GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (GB CLP)  The retained UK version of the EU CLP Regulation, governing the classification, labelling, and packaging of hazardous chemical substances and mixtures  Requires hazardous substances to be labelled with standardised GHS hazard pictograms and signal words, enabling quick identification of hazard categories  Safety Data Sheets (SDS), required to be provided by suppliers for all hazardous substances, are classified under GB CLP and form the primary reference document for COSHH assessments  Employers must ensure SDS documents are current, accessible to employees, and used as the basis for risk assessments HSE Publication EH40 — Workplace Exposure Limits  EH40 is the legally binding HSE document containing the list of all current GB Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for approximately 500 substances  WELs are concentrations of hazardous substances in air, expressed as legal limits averaged over either an eight-hour long-term exposure period or a fifteen-minute short-term exposure period  Employers must ensure that exposure to substances with a WEL does not exceed the legal limit, and where substances are classified as carcinogens, mutagens, or asthmagens, exposure must be reduced to as low as is reasonably practicable  EH40 is regularly updated and employers should ensure they are working from the current edition Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974  Establishes overarching duties on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all employees and others affected by their work activities  Requires employers to provide adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision, including in relation to hazardous substances  Places a duty on employees to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, and to cooperate with their employer's COSHH arrangements Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999  Requires employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering all foreseeable risks to employee health, including those arising from exposure to hazardous substances  Provides the overarching framework within which COSHH assessments sit, requiring control measures to be implemented, monitored, and regularly reviewed  Requires appropriate emergency procedures and training to be in place Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Amendment) Regulations 2004  Introduced additional requirements in relation to biological agents and carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, strengthening control and health surveillance obligations for the highest-risk exposures  Reinforces the requirement that exposure to carcinogens and mutagens must be reduced to as low a level as is reasonably practicable, rather than simply kept below the WEL HSE Guidance — INDG136 and COSHH Essentials  INDG136 provides practical HSE guidance on working safely with substances hazardous to health, covering the COSHH assessment process, control measures, and employee responsibilities  COSHH Essentials is the HSE's interactive online tool for assessing exposure risks and identifying appropriate control measures based on hazard information, substance quantities, and task type  Both are widely referenced by HSE inspectors when assessing the adequacy of an employer's COSHH arrangements This training helps employees and employers understand their COSHH responsibilities and supports compliance with UK hazardous substance legislation and HSE guidance. Course Overview Learners will develop a thorough understanding of COSHH requirements and safe working with hazardous substances, including:  What COSHH is and why it exists, the scale of occupational ill health caused by hazardous substances in the UK  What substances are covered by COSHH: chemicals, dusts, fumes, vapours, gases, mists, biological agents, and process-generated hazards  What is NOT covered by COSHH: asbestos, lead, and radioactive materials and their separate regulatory frameworks  Routes of exposure: inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and injection  GB CLP hazard pictograms and signal words, understanding hazard labels and Safety Data Sheets  Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs), what they are, how they work, and where to find them in EH40  The COSHH assessment process, identifying substances, evaluating exposure, and determining appropriate controls  The hierarchy of control under COSHH, elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE as a last resort  Health surveillance, when it is required, what it involves, and how long records must be kept  Storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous substances safely and legally  Emergency procedures, what to do in the event of a spillage, exposure, or accidental release  Employer and employee responsibilities under the COSHH Regulations 2002  Common industries and roles at risk, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, cleaning, and hairdressing This course provides awareness-level knowledge only and does not involve any practical handling of hazardous substances or hands-on assessment exercises. Course Highlights  100% online – complete at your own pace  Fully aligned with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and HSE guidance EH40  Covers hazardous substance identification, COSHH assessment, WELs, GB CLP labelling, and the hierarchy of controls  Includes health surveillance requirements, emergency procedures, and SDS interpretation  Suitable for all employees in any industry where hazardous substances are present  Interactive visual content for easy understanding  Knowledge checks throughout each module  Final online assessment included  Instant digital certificate upon completion  Counts towards CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Who Should Take This Course? This course is suitable for a wide range of employees, including:  Manufacturing and engineering operatives  Construction and civil engineering workers  Cleaning and facilities management staff  Healthcare and laboratory workers  Agricultural and horticultural workers  Hairdressing, beauty, and nail technicians  Catering and food production staff  Automotive and body shop technicians  Printing and surface treatment operatives  Warehouse and logistics staff handling chemical products  Supervisors and managers responsible for staff working with hazardous substances  Health and safety officers and managers  New starters in any environment where hazardous substances are present  Anyone requiring COSHH awareness or CPD This training is ideal for building COSHH awareness across the workforce. It does not replace a formal workplace COSHH assessment, specialist occupational hygiene monitoring, or the in-depth training required for those responsible for conducting and managing COSHH assessments within their organisation.