COSHH Assessments for UK Businesses

We help you identify, assess and control the risks from hazardous substances so your people are protected and your business stays compliant.

What is a COSHH Assessment and who needs one?

A COSHH assessment is a workplace risk assessment that identifies the potential health risks associated with hazardous substances, including chemicals, dust, fumes and biological agents. It examines how employees may come into contact with these substances, the risks involved and the control measures required to prevent or minimise harmful exposure.

Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, UK employers have a legal duty to assess and manage the risks posed by hazardous substances in the workplace. These requirements apply across a wide range of industries, from construction sites using solvents and adhesives to commercial kitchens handling cleaning chemicals and agricultural businesses working with pesticides.

COSHH assessments are relevant to any business where employees may be exposed to substances that could affect their health. This includes construction companies, mechanical and electrical contractors, logistics and warehousing businesses, agricultural and arboricultural operations, and hospitality and events venues. Whether employees are handling chemicals, generating dust or fumes, or working around biological hazards, a suitable COSHH assessment helps ensure the risks are properly identified and controlled.

Although a supplier’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provides essential information about a hazardous substance, it does not replace a COSHH assessment. A COSHH assessment takes this information and applies it to the specific activities, working conditions and people involved. It also identifies and documents the practical safety measures needed to protect employees and maintain a safe working environment.

What our COSHH Assessment service includes

Review of substances in use across your site or workplace
Identification of hazardous substances and review of relevant safety data sheets
Assessment of exposure routes, tasks and likelihood of harm
Recommendation of suitable control measures to reduce or eliminate risk
Production of written COSHH assessment documents
Guidance on health surveillance requirements where relevant
Review of existing COSHH assessments you already have in place
Coverage of both chemical and non-chemical hazardous substances including biological agents

How we work with you

1. Discovery call

We start with a free discovery call to understand your workplace, the substances your workers use or are exposed to, and your current position. This helps us scope the work accurately and agree the right approach before anything else happens.

2. Site visit or document review

Depending on the complexity and risk level of your workplace, we will either carry out a site visit to gather information directly or work remotely where all the necessary information can be provided to us. For lower-risk situations where full documentation is available, a remote assessment can be appropriate.

3. Assessment production

A qualified consultant produces your written COSHH assessments, covering the substances identified, the risks to your workers, and the controls required. We aim to deliver completed assessments within seven working days of receiving the information we need.

4. Review and sign-off

We walk through the findings with you, answer any questions, and agree any actions that need to be taken. We want you to understand what the assessments say and feel confident using them, not just file them away.

5. Ongoing support

Once assessments are in place, we can store and manage them in Safety Mate alongside your other safety records. Review reminders, worker briefings and digital sign-off can all be handled through the platform, so your COSHH records stay current and accessible.

Manage your COSHH records in Safety Mate®

Safety Mate® is a health and safety management platform developed by Safety Assistance Limited. It includes a dedicated COSHH module, so once your assessments are produced they can be stored, managed and reviewed in one place rather than sitting in a shared drive or paper folder.

Within Safety Mate®, you can set review dates for each assessment, brief workers on the controls that apply to their tasks, and capture digital signatures to confirm that briefings have taken place. This gives you a clear, auditable record of your COSHH management activity.

Staff briefings on COSHH controls are available through Safety Mate® at no additional charge, making it straightforward to keep your team informed when substances change or new hazards are introduced.

If you are already a Safety Assistance consultancy client, we can help you set up and configure Safety Mate® to manage your COSHH records as part of the same engagement. Find out more about Safety Mate on the product page.

Common questions about COSHH Assessments

Do I need a COSHH assessment for every substance?

Not every substance or product in your workplace will require a separate COSHH assessment. However, UK employers must assess the risks associated with hazardous substances that could affect employees’ health.

Substances that are not hazardous, or those used in a way that presents little or no risk of exposure, may not require an individual assessment. Where several substances are used for similar tasks and present comparable risks, they may also be covered by a single assessment, provided the relevant hazards and control measures are properly addressed. In practice, businesses that use chemicals, generate dust or fumes, or work with biological agents will usually need COSHH assessments for activities where hazardous exposure could occur.

We can help you identify which substances and activities require assessment, prioritise the risks and ensure appropriate control measures are in place to protect your workforce and meet your legal obligations.

How often should COSHH assessments be reviewed?

COSHH assessments should be reviewed whenever there is a significant change a new substance is introduced, a process changes, a worker raises a health concern, or there is an incident or near miss involving a hazardous substance. Even without a specific trigger, it is good practice to review assessments periodically to make sure they remain accurate and the controls are still working. Safety Mate can send review reminders so nothing gets overlooked.

We already have safety data sheets, does that mean we have COSHH assessments?

No. A safety data sheet is information provided by the supplier about a substance. A COSHH assessment is the document your business produces that applies that information to your specific workplace, tasks and workers identifying who is at risk, how they might be exposed, and what controls are in place. The data sheet is a starting point, not the assessment itself.

Can you review COSHH assessments we already have rather than starting from scratch?

Yes. We offer a review-only service for businesses that already have COSHH assessments in place but want an independent check that they are suitable, up to date and reflect current working practices. This can be a useful option if your assessments have not been reviewed for some time or if your processes have changed.

Can COSHH assessments be done remotely?

Yes, in appropriate circumstances. For lower-risk workplaces where all the relevant information substance lists, safety data sheets, process descriptions and site details – can be provided to us, we can carry out the assessment remotely. For more complex or higher-risk situations, a site visit is likely to give a more accurate picture. We will discuss the right approach with you during the discovery call.

Do you cover all types of hazardous substances?

Yes. Our service covers both chemical and non-chemical hazardous substances, including biological agents. Whether your concern is solvents, adhesives, cleaning products, dusts, fumes, or biological materials, we can help you assess and manage the risks.

Do you cover all industries?

We work with businesses across the UK in a range of sectors, including construction, mechanical and electrical, logistics, agriculture, arboriculture, and hospitality and events. We have particular experience in construction and manufacturing environments. If you are unsure whether we cover your sector, get in touch and we will let you know.

Industries we support

COSHH risks vary significantly by sector. The hazardous substances on a construction site solvents, silica dust, adhesives, cement are very different from the cleaning chemicals in a hotel or the pesticides and biological agents on a farm. We work across the following industries and understand the specific substances and exposure risks that apply in each.

Construction

Silica dust, solvents, adhesives, cement and other construction materials all require careful COSHH assessment.

Mechanical & Electrical

Cutting fluids, lubricants, flux fumes and chemical cleaning agents are common COSHH concerns in M&E work.

Logistics

Fuel, battery acid, cleaning products and cargo-related chemical exposures need to be assessed and controlled.

Agriculture

Pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers and biological agents present significant COSHH risks in agricultural settings.

Arboriculture

Chainsaw oils, fuels, biological agents and wood dusts are among the substances requiring assessment in arboricultural work.

Hospitality & Events

Cleaning products, disinfectants and kitchen chemicals are everyday COSHH considerations in hospitality environments.

Need a COSHH Assessment? Let's talk.

Talk to a qualified consultant about your COSHH requirements no jargon, no hard sell, just practical advice tailored to your workplace.