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COSHH Assessment
All employers must assess the risks to health and safety
posed by the use of hazardous substances at work, under
the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
2002 (as amended) (COSHH) and the Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations. Such substances may include
toxic, irritant, harmful or corrosive chemicals, biological
agents, carcinogens, dusts, fumes or vapours. Wherever possible
such substances must be replaced by less hazardous ones.
Where this cannot be achieved, a hierarchy of control measures
must be in place to reduce the risk.
Turner & Townsend will carry out these COSHH risk
assessments and provide recommendations for suitable control
measures where substances cannot be replaced. In addition
our report includes an inventory of hazardous substances
and a management system for regularly reviewing the assessments
to enable ongoing compliance.
Workplace Exposure Monitoring
Many people are exposed to a variety of substances at
work (eg dusts, solvents, fumes), which can under certain
circumstances, have a harmful affect on their health. These
are collectively known as hazardous substances. Workplace
Exposure Limits (WELs) are set under the COSHH Regulations
in order to help protect the health of workers.
Where the COSHH risk assessment made shows it is necessary,
air monitoring means using valid and suitable occupational
hygiene techniques to estimate the amount of employees’
exposure. For airborne contaminants, this measurement will
normally involve collecting a sample from the employee’s
breathing zone using personal sampling equipment.
Workplace Exposure Monitoring is necessary when the following
requirements:
- when failure or deterioration of the control measures
could result in a serious health effect, either because
of the toxicity of the substance or because of the extent
of potential exposure, or both;
- when measurement is required so as to be sure that
a WEL or any self-imposed (in-house) working standard
is not exceeded;
- as an additional check on the effectiveness of any
control measures provided;
- when any change occurs in the conditions affecting
employees’ exposure which could mean that adequate
control is no longer being maintained, eg an increase
in the quantity of a substance used or changing systems
of work or introducing new plant.
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Testing
LEV is used in many situations to protect the health of
people working with hazardous materials, which are harmful
by inhalation. LEV systems provided by an employer must
be maintained in good working order to effectively remove
pollutants from the workplace atmosphere. COSHH requires
that LEV systems are well maintained, thoroughly examined
and tested at regular intervals. Generally the thorough
testing and examination of LEV plant must be carried out
at least every 14 months.
For certain processes where LEV plant is provided, the
regulations require that these systems are tested on a more
regular basis:
| Process |
Minimum Frequency of Testing |
| Blasting in or incidental to the cleaning of metal
castings in connection with their manufacture. |
1 month |
| Metal articles (other than of gold, platinum or iridium)
are ground, abraded or polished using mechanical power,
in any room for more than 12 hours in any week. |
6 months |
| Processes giving off dust or fume in which non-ferrous
metal castings are produced |
6 months |
| Jute cloth manufacture |
1 month |
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Assessment
Good indoor air quality is important to building occupant’s
health, comfort and workplace productivity. Environmental
monitoring and investigation can assess employee health
effects caused by inadequate indoor air quality and/or contaminants
within occupied environments.
All workplaces including offices should be ventilated
with either fresh air from outside or re-circulated air
that has been adequately filtered and purified. Adequate
ventilation also reduces the risk of allergic reactions
from Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are released
from certain glues, paints and carpets.
Turner & Townsend’s IAQ surveys can help investigate
problems suffered by employees and identify potential causes
and solutions by using various sampling techniques.
Workplace Noise Exposure Monitoring
Hearing loss by exposure to noise at work continues to be
a significant occupational disease. Employers have a duty
to reduce the risk of damage to workers hearing.
A workplace noise assessment is a useful tool in assessing
whether noise exposure to machinery is likely to reach levels,
which will contribute to noise induced hearing loss. In
accordance with noise legislation the noise assessment must
be undertaken every 2 years by a competent person and a
record kept.
Turner & Townsend will carry out workplace noise assessments
and advise on complying with legislation.
Hand-Arm Vibration Assessments
Employees who regularly use power tools may be at risk of
developing a range of disabling vibration-related diseases
known collectively as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).
The Control of Vibration Regulations place a range of
duties on employers including a requirement to assess the
risks to their employees from vibration.
Health and safety law requires employers to assess risks
to the health of employees. One such risk is HAVS which
is a reportable disease under the Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
Risk assessments are a useful starting block in assessing
exposure to hand arm vibration.
Turner & Townsend will carry out assessments of vibration
exposure and advice on measures to manage exposure.
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