COSHH Risk Assessments
Carrying out a COSHH risk assessment is a legal requirement under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for any organisation that uses hazardous substances. As an employer you should always look to eliminate your workers exposure to hazardous substances and were this is not possible reduce their potential exposures and control to minimise the impacts upon your workforce. Additionally, whatever control measures are implemented their use must be enforced and where engineering controls are introduced these must be fit for purpose, inspected and tested by a competent person at the required frequency.
Safety Consulting Lancs can carry out a full and comprehensive COSHH risk assessment detailing the following points:
- Identification of the inherent hazards of using a particular substance
- Evaluation of the risks of using the substance in a particular work process or environment
- Determine the required control measures, engineering, safe working procedures, employee training, personal protective equipment (PPE) etc.
- Inform the user and any others who may be affected by the control measures for safe use of the substance
Additional Supporting work offered if required: –
- Monitoring of employee occupational exposure levels to substances were required for compliance with the (W.E.L) Workplace Exposure Levels to EH40 requirements and COSHH Regulations 10 & 11.
- Examination and testing of LEV, Local Exhaust Ventilation (Extraction) equipment as required by COSHH Regulation 9.
DSEAR / Risk Assessment
The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres regulations 2002 require employers to control the risks to safety from fire, explosions and substances corrosive to metal.
What are dangerous substances?
Dangerous substances are any substance used or present at work that could, if not properly controlled, cause harm to people as a result of a fire, explosion or corrosion of metal. Dangerous substances can be found in nearly all workplaces and include such things as solvents, paints, varnishes, flammable gases, such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), dusts from machining and sanding operations, dust from food stuffs, pressurised gases and substances corrosive to metal.
The DSEAR regulations required employers to:
- Find out what dangerous substances are in their workplace and what the risks are
- Put control measures in place to either remove those risks, or were this is not possible adequately control them
- Put control measures in place to reduce the effects of any incidents involving dangerous substances
- Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving dangerous substances
- Make sure employees are properly informed about and trained to control or deal with the risks from dangerous substances
- Identify and classify all areas of the workplace were explosive atmospheres may occur and avoid (ignition sources from unprotected equipment for example) in these areas, to which will require a higher level of visible control
- Safety Consulting Lances can carry out a full DSEAR risk assessment of your business so that you can achieve regulatory compliance; protect your staff, visitors and your company assets.
Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Risk Assessment
A workstation risk assessment which includes a review of display screen equipment usage from Safety Consulting Lancs will help both line managers and ‘end users’ identify any issues with current setups. It will also identify the specific products that are available which may assist on a proactive basis with regards to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and the potential for damage to an employee’s eyesight. In most cases DSE, workstation risk assessments are carried out on a re-active basis to assist with a wide range of medical conditions that can impair an employee’s ability to work to their full potential. However with early intervention and the use of correct equipment and training on workstation ergonomics, Safety Consults Lancs can help you prevent the risk of long-term employee absenteeism, and assist you with your duty of care as must be practiced by all employers.
Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Safety Audits
If you are an employer, own or occupy a building (e.g. a landlord or tenant) you are required by law to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005 and carryout a fire safety risk assessment. A fire risk assessment involves a physical inspection of your business premises to assess the existing safety measures and precautions that are in place in order to prevent fire or deal with a fire situation, highlighting what needs to be done to improve the overall level of fire safety arrangements.
Safety Consulting Lancs can assess your business in order to keep your employees, visitors and your business operations legally compliant and up to date.