Many organisations across the UK use substances that could cause harm to people and the environment. Every year, thousands of workers contract illnesses because of uncontrolled exposure to hazardous substances, and incidents occur that result in environmental damage, such as this incident in Scunthorpe in 2011.
In order to protect the environment, employees and others who visit your workplace, it’s essential that all staff are qualified and certified in Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and Environmental Protection Procedures.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Hazardous substances occur in almost all work environments, including factories, mines, shops, offices, farms and laboratories. They can be products used in work-related activities, such as chemicals, paints and cleaning agents, or products produced by work activities, like fumes from welding. Less obvious, but no less serious, are bacteria and fungi which grow on metalworking fluids, and naturally occurring substances, like flowers, bulbs and vegetables that can cause dermatitis.
If an employer doesn’t adequately control these substances, they can result in a range of illnesses from mild eye infections to chronic lung infections and, in some cases, death. These illnesses result in the loss of millions of pounds each year, affecting employers, who have to replace the trained employee, society, which pays for benefits and medicines, and individuals, who may lose their jobs and be unable to work again.
COSHH regulations were ratified in 2002, giving employers an eight-step plan to follow to help prevent work-related illnesses.
- Carry out regular risk assessments
- Decide what precautions are necessary
- Prevent or control exposure to these substances
- Ensure these controls are implemented and maintained
- Monitor all exposure
- Carry out regular health checks
- Prepare accident and emergency plans and procedures
- Ensure all staff are properly informed, trained and supervised
Environmental Protection Procedures
Businesses also have a unique responsibility to protect the health of the environment and prevent occurrences such as the above-mentioned incident in Scunthorpe, which had an environmental cost, and a financial cost to the company involved.
The protection of the environment is important for human health: we need clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, and protection from contact with harmful substances.
Businesses have a duty of care to consider the environmental risks of every hazardous substance they store, use, produce or dispose of, including animal by-products, oil, pesticides, radioactive materials, solvents, and chemicals.
There are a range of environmental rules with which all businesses must comply:
- Legislation regarding air pollution, which can cause breathing problems and worsen asthma symptoms
- Storing waste safely and securely, and ensuring it is disposed of properly
- Complying with statutory nuisance regulations regarding the production of noise, smoke, fumes, gases, light pollution, etc. that could damage people’s health and cause a nuisance to neighbours
- Obtaining permission from water companies before allowing trade affluent to enter the sewage system
- Complying with packaging regulations, ensuring they recover and recycle a certain percentage of their waste
- Ensuring they comply with restrictions regarding the storage and use of hazardous waste
- Notifying the authorities and taking appropriate steps to minimise damage should business activities cause a risk to the environment
It’s vitally important that any business that uses hazardous substances ensures its employees are trained in COSHH and Environmental Protection Procedures. Any control measures put in place by businesses will not be fully effective unless all staff members fully understand the danger involved, how to correctly handle each substance, and what they need to do if something goes wrong. For details of a range of training courses for your staff contact RRC Training.
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