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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health emergency planning
Created: 23/10/2024
News/Events Category: General News
Do you know what you would need to do in the event of a COSSH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) emergency?
Most third sector organisation will only have a minor need to consult COSHH regulations, however, these are still areas to be considered and should form part of your health and safety processes. Some organisations may have a much greater need to control substances on site, such as organisations who; garden, art-based projects etc. Almost all organisation will need to consult COSHH as part of controlling Legionella.
As an organisation you should draw up a plan and make arrangements to deal with any accident, incident or emergency that may occur involving the hazardous substances present in your workplace.
The purpose of the arrangements is to mitigate the effects of the incident, restore your workplace to normal as soon as possible and limiting the extent of any risks to health. To deal with any potential emergency, the arrangements should:
- Establish emergency procedures that include the regular testing of safety drills
- Make information available to safety representatives and employees, including details of work hazards and specific hazards likely to arise in the event of an
- accident, incident or emergency involving hazardous substances
- Provide suitable warning and communication systems
- Provide additional, specific first-aid facilities and training on the emergency procedures
- Ensure that only those people who are essential to carry out necessary repairs are permitted into the affected area
- Provide sufficient suitable personal protective equipment
- Any specialised safety equipment and plant so that repairs can be made and the situation returned to normal as soon as possible
- Devise safe methods for disposal of the substance and contaminated clothing etc
- Provide suitable hygiene facilities for decontaminating skin and facilities for cleaning personal protective equipment
- You should also contact the local fire service and offer to make available a copy of the emergency procedures and details of the specific hazards likely to arise in the event of an accident, incident or emergency involving a substance hazardous to health at the workplace.
Are there Legionella risks in my workplace?
COSHH also covers the control of Legionella in the workplace. Any water system, with the right environmental conditions, could be a source for legionella bacteria growth. There is a possible legionella risk if your water system:
- Has a water temperature between 20–45 °C
- Creates and/or spreads breathable droplets, e.g. aerosol created by a cooling tower, or water outlets
- Stores and/or re-circulates water
- Is likely to contain a source of nutrients for the organism to grow, e.g. rust, sludge, scale, organic matter and biofilms
The most common sources of legionella are in man-made water systems including:
- Cooling tower and evaporative condensers
- Hot and cold water systems
- Spa pools
If you are an employer, or someone in control of premises (e.g. landlord), you have a duty to understand and manage legionella risks. All systems require a risk assessment but not all systems will require elaborate control measures. A simple risk assessment may show that the risks are low and being properly managed to comply with the law.
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