COSHH

Course Overview

Hazardous substances are encountered throughout health and social care, including cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, laundry products, hand rubs, body fluids, infectious materials, hazardous medicines, aerosols and gases. Harm may arise through normal use, incorrect dilution, incompatible mixing, damaged packaging, poor storage, spills or repeated exposure.

This course develops the practical understanding needed to recognise hazardous substances, interpret safety information, follow COSHH control measures and respond appropriately when something goes wrong. Particular attention is given to the cleaning and disinfection liquids commonly used in hospitals, care homes, supported-living services, domiciliary care and other care environments.

What COSHH Means

COSHH refers to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. These regulations require employers in Great Britain to assess risks from substances hazardous to health and prevent exposure or, where prevention is not reasonably practicable, control it adequately.

COSHH can apply to purchased chemicals, products containing chemicals, substances generated during work and biological agents such as harmful microorganisms. A product does not have to be a liquid or display a hazard pictogram before it can create a health risk.

Course Aim

The course aims to help you recognise hazardous substances encountered in health and social care, understand how exposure and harm can occur, follow the controls identified by your employer and take appropriate action when substances are used, stored, spilled or handled unsafely.

Course Level

This is a foundation-level course with detailed practical application for healthcare assistants, senior healthcare assistants and nurses.

It supports safe workplace practice but does not, by itself, establish competence to:

1. Complete complex or specialist COSHH assessments.
2. Select specialist disinfectants or chemical treatment systems.
3. Calculate unapproved chemical concentrations or dilution formulas.
4. Manage major chemical releases.
5. Use respiratory protective equipment requiring face-fit testing.
6. Handle cytotoxic, cytostatic or other hazardous medicines without task-specific training.
7. Carry out specialist decontamination or hazardous-waste procedures.

Practical instruction, product-specific training, supervision and workplace competency assessment may still be required.

Scope and Boundaries

The primary legal and regulatory context is England. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 apply in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has separate legislation, including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.

The course explains transferable UK-wide safety principles but does not present England-specific CQC requirements as applying across all four UK nations. Learners must also follow their employer’s COSHH assessments, safety procedures, product labels, safety data sheets and local emergency arrangements.

The course examines major product groups rather than attempting to list every commercial liquid. Brand names, formulations, concentrations and manufacturer instructions change. Safe practice must therefore be based on the exact product being used.

Intended Audience

This course is suitable for:

1. Healthcare assistants.
2. Senior healthcare assistants.
3. Registered nurses requiring foundation or refresher learning.
4. Care workers and support workers whose duties involve hazardous substances.
5. Staff undertaking cleaning or decontamination activities.
6. Agency and temporary care staff.
7. New starters working in health or social care environments.
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Main Topics Covered

The course covers:

1. The purpose, scope and practical meaning of COSHH.
2. Employer responsibilities and worker responsibilities.
3. Substances covered by COSHH and hazards controlled under other legislation.
4. Hazard pictograms, labels, safety data sheets and workplace COSHH assessments.
5. Detergents, washing-up liquids, degreasers and general surface cleaners.
6. Laundry detergents, stain removers, dishwasher liquids and rinse aids.
7. Chlorine-releasing and hypochlorite products.
8. Combined detergent-disinfectant products.
9. Alcohol-based products and hand rubs.
10. Peroxide-based and other approved disinfectant products.
11. Acidic toilet cleaners, limescale removers and descalers.
12. Strong alkaline products such as some oven, drain and machine-cleaning agents.
13. Aerosols, air fresheners, solvents, adhesives, paints and maintenance substances.
14. Skin cleansers, personal-care products and work-related wet exposure.
15. Hazardous medicines and pharmaceutical exposure.
16. Biological agents, blood, body fluids, contaminated waste and sharps.
17. Gases, vapours, dusts, fumes and mists.
18. Exposure through breathing, skin or eye contact, swallowing and injection.
19. Immediate and delayed health effects.
20. COSHH assessment and the hierarchy of control.
21. PPE, ventilation, safe systems of work and occupational hygiene.
22. Dilution, contact time, dispensing, decanting and product compatibility.
23. Storage, transport, disposal and access control.
24. Chemical mixing, spills, splashes, inhalation and emergency action.
25. Exposure monitoring, health surveillance, reporting and review.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Explain the purpose and practical scope of COSHH in health and social care.
2. Recognise common chemical and biological substances that may cause harm.
3. Distinguish a product label, safety data sheet and workplace COSHH assessment.
4. Interpret the main hazard pictograms, signal words and safety instructions.
5. Explain the purpose and hazards of major cleaning and disinfection product groups.
6. Recognise why concentration, dilution, contact time and surface compatibility matter.
7. Identify dangerous practices, including mixing incompatible chemicals and using unlabelled containers.
8. Describe the main routes of exposure and possible immediate or delayed health effects.
9. Explain the basic stages of a COSHH risk assessment.
10. Apply the hierarchy of control before relying on PPE.
11. Follow workplace controls for using, storing, transporting and disposing of hazardous substances.
12. Respond appropriately to spills, splashes, inhalation, accidental mixing and suspected exposure.
13. Recognise symptoms or control failures that must be reported.
14. Work within your role, training and competence and seek specialist assistance when required.