Hazardous Substances (COSHH)

ISO 45001:2018 Clause 8.1.2 · Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) · CLP Regulation — Identification, assessment and control of hazardous substances

Procedure overview

A M Water Services identifies all substances used or generated during operations that are hazardous to health (cement, respirable crystalline silica from cutting/grinding, asphalt fumes, diesel exhaust, AdBlue, line-marking paints, chlorine tablets/solutions used in water-main commissioning, lubricants, screenwash, fuels, two-stroke oil), obtains current Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from suppliers, and carries out a COSHH assessment for each. The assessments and MSDS are filed in the COSHH folder and indexed on the COSHH Assessment Log; both the assessment and the MSDS are made available at the point of work. Control measures are implemented per the assessment, with PPE / RPE provided per SOP 8.4. Operatives receive hazardous-substances awareness training and are briefed on each COSHH assessment relevant to their work via toolbox talk. Where required by the assessment, health surveillance is arranged under SOP 8.7. Storage, fire-fighting and spill provision are scaled to the inventory. Records are retained per SOP 4.7 — including 40-year retention for any substance attracting health surveillance.

Hazardous Substances (COSHH) — Process Flow

HSQE Consultant

Sean Ashton

Identify, Assess & Brief

Identify substances used and generated by AMWS operations

Obtain Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from supplier; file in COSHH folder

MSDS

Update COSHH Assessment Log with substance name, MSDS issue number and date

Carry out COSHH assessment on each hazardous substance

COSHH Assessment

Introduce control measures per the assessment (elimination, substitution, engineering, admin, then PPE per SOP 8.4)

Brief staff on COSHH assessment(s); record briefing on Toolbox Talk

Toolbox Talk

Provide hazardous-substances awareness training (per SOP 4.2)

Where the substance attracts health surveillance, arrange per SOP 8.7

Site Supervisor & Operatives

Jason May
Team Leaders · Operatives

Implement, Use & Monitor

Operative ensures the COSHH assessment and MSDS are at the point of work for the substance being used

Use / wear PPE / RPE as identified in the COSHH assessment, manufacturer's instructions and training (per SOP 8.4)

Clean, inspect and maintain PPE / RPE; report damaged or unsuitable PPE for replacement

Store hazardous substances per the MSDS; correct warning signs displayed on storage

Ensure adequate fire-fighting equipment and spill kits are located close by where flammable / hazardous-liquid substances are used

Site Supervisor monitors implementation of and compliance with the COSHH assessment during the work activity

Review COSHH assessment and control measures as required (new substance, change of process, supplier MSDS revision, post-incident)

Retain COSHH assessments, MSDS, training records and briefing sheets per SOP 4.7

SOP 4.7 Control of Records

Process / Activity

Document / Cross-reference

Periodic Review / Compliance

Workplace Exposure Limits and AMWS-relevant substances

Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) are set by HSE in EH40 and are mandatory under COSHH 2002. Where exposure approaches a WEL, additional engineering control or RPE is required and health surveillance under SOP 8.7 is triggered.

AMWS-relevant substance	WEL (8-hr TWA unless stated)	Source / typical AMWS exposure
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS)	0.1 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA) — planned reduction to 0.05 mg/m³ under HSE proposals	Cutting paving, kerbstones, masonry, concrete pipework with disc cutters; dust suppression mandatory; FFP3 RPE; health surveillance
Cement dust (calcium oxide)	1 mg/m³ respirable; 4 mg/m³ inhalable (8-hr TWA)	Pipe-bedding, concrete repairs; alkaline burn risk on skin; disposable nitrile gloves + eye protection
Asphalt / bitumen fumes	5 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA, inhalable as benzene-soluble matter)	Tarmac reinstatement (per `SOP 8.5` and Method Statement 2.25); avoid breathing fumes; gloves + sleeves to prevent contact dermatitis
Diesel exhaust emissions (DEE / elemental carbon)	0.1 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA, inhalable as elemental carbon, IARC Group 1 carcinogen)	Plant operation in confined yards or excavations; ventilation, idle-time minimisation, post-exposure hand wash before eating
Welding fume	1 mg/m³ (HSE bulletin STSU1 2019 — all welding fume now treated as carcinogenic)	Stick / MIG welding on pipework / steelwork; LEV mandatory + powered air RPE for sustained welding
Chlorine (gas / disinfectant solution)	0.5 ppm (15-min STEL)	Water main commissioning — chlorination per Method Statement 3.6.1; respirator + chemical gloves; never mix with acid; ventilation
Wood dust (softwood / hardwood)	5 mg/m³ softwood, 3 mg/m³ hardwood (8-hr TWA)	Site cabin / timber works only; hardwood is carcinogenic; LEV / FFP3
Hand-arm vibration (separate — per `SOP 8.10`)	Action value 2.5 m/s² A(8); Limit value 5.0 m/s² A(8)	Disc cutters, breakers, percussive drilling; tool-time limits; HAVS surveillance

COSHH-controlled substances triggering health surveillance under SOP 8.7: respirable crystalline silica, asbestos (separate — SOP 8.14), wood dust (hardwood), respiratory sensitisers, lead. Where exposure is below the WEL but ongoing, surveillance is still required for sensitisers and IARC Group 1 carcinogens. Health-surveillance records are retained for 40 years per the Control of Asbestos / COSHH retention requirements.

Hazardous Substances (COSHH)

Hazardous Substances (COSHH) — Process Flow

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