Do I Need A Consultant To Complete My Coshh Risk Assessment?

CoSHH law requires that employers control substances that are hazardous to health. One of the guidelines set by the HSE is the identification of hazards and assessing the risks.

A CoSHH risk assessment concentrates on the hazards and risks created from substances in your workplace. It is an important step to be taken to protect your workers and your business. It will also keep your business within CoSHH legislation.

The HSE guidelines state that the only qualification that is needed to carry out a CoSHH risk assessment is that the person doing it should be 'competent'.

The CoSHH risk assessment should be completed by an individual with appropriate technical knowledge and experience. The person should also be able to assess the risks associated with work activities that involve substances hazardous to health.

A competent person does not need to be a consultant, but can be and usually is an employee within the organization. They do not need to be an expert. It could be that a group of employees become a 'competent' team and draw upon their own individual specialist areas.

There are very few training courses which specialise in helping a person become competent in CoSHH. It is the manager's decision to decide who is competent enough to do the CoSHH risk assessment. In choosing the relevant person, the manager should look at the assessor's work experience and training records.

The competent person should have, at the very least, adequate knowledge and understanding of the operations and substances being assessed.

The 'competent' individual must know their limitations and know when to ask for advice from others. Should they feel that they are unable to make a coherent and satisfactory assessment, it is crucial that they notify their employer of this. If they are still expected to proceed with the assessment, then they should ensure that they make their objections known and document their misgivings.

The CoSHH risk assessment is, at the end of the day, always the absolute responsibility of the manager, over that of the 'competent' employee. This responsibility includes any measures introduced as a result of the CoSHH risk assessment. If any legal action should come about from the assessment then usually this will result in the employer being prosecuted and not the 'competent' person.