COSHH Course

Lesson 1 • Types of Hazardous Substances

Categorizes chemicals, biological agents, dusts, and fumes covered by COSHH. Enables learners to identify regulated substances in their own workplace.

Lesson 2 • Legal Duties of Employers and Employees

Outlines statutory obligations for both employers and workers under hazardous substance law. Clarifies accountability at every organizational level.

Lesson 3 • Routes of Exposure and Health Effects

Explains inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and injection as exposure pathways. Links each route to specific acute and chronic health outcomes.

Lesson 4 • What COSHH Means and Why It Matters

Defines COSHH, its regulatory purpose, and the harm it prevents. Grounds all subsequent learning in the real-world consequences of non-compliance.

Lesson 1 • Hazard Statements and Pictograms

Decodes standardized hazard statements, precautionary statements, and GHS pictograms. Connects symbolic warnings to practical handling decisions.

Lesson 2 • Applying SDS Data to Daily Work

Translates SDS information into storage, handling, and disposal decisions. Bridges document literacy with practical workplace behavior.

Lesson 3 • Structure of a Safety Data Sheet

Introduces the standardized 16-section SDS format and the purpose of each section. Provides the map learners need to navigate any SDS efficiently.

Lesson 4 • First Aid and Emergency Information

Locates and interprets first aid measures and spill response data within an SDS. Prepares learners to act correctly in the first minutes of an incident.

Lesson 1 • Assessing Likelihood and Severity of Harm

Applies risk-rating matrices to estimate the probability and consequence of exposure events. Teaches learners to prioritize substances requiring urgent control.

Lesson 2 • Gathering Substance Inventory Data

Covers methods for compiling a complete inventory of substances used, stored, and generated on site. Accurate inventories are the foundation of every valid assessment.

Lesson 3 • Identifying Vulnerable Groups

Highlights workers with heightened susceptibility, including pregnant workers, young persons, and those with pre-existing conditions. Ensures assessments reflect the full workforce.

Lesson 4 • The Five-Step Risk Assessment Process

Introduces the identify–evaluate–control–record–review cycle as the backbone of COSHH assessment. Establishes a repeatable methodology for any workplace task.

Lesson 1 • Elimination and Substitution

Covers removing a hazardous substance entirely or replacing it with a safer alternative. Establishes these as the most effective and preferred control options.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment Selection

Guides selection of appropriate PPE types based on substance hazard and exposure route. Reinforces PPE as the last line of defense, not the primary control.

Lesson 3 • Engineering Controls

Explains enclosure, local exhaust ventilation (LEV), and isolation as physical barriers to exposure. Covers selection, installation, and performance expectations for each type.

Lesson 4 • Administrative Controls

Addresses safe systems of work, job rotation, permit-to-work systems, and training as organizational controls. Clarifies that administrative measures supplement, not replace, engineering controls.

Lesson 1 • PPE Regulatory Requirements

Outlines employer obligations to provide, maintain, and replace PPE at no cost to workers. Establishes the legal baseline before addressing practical application.

Lesson 2 • Donning and Doffing Procedures

Teaches the correct sequence for putting on and removing PPE to prevent self-contamination. Errors during doffing are a leading cause of exposure incidents.

Lesson 3 • Inspection, Maintenance, and Storage

Covers pre-use inspection checks, cleaning protocols, and correct storage conditions for all PPE types. Poorly maintained PPE provides false assurance of protection.

Lesson 4 • Overcoming PPE Non-Compliance

Addresses behavioral and ergonomic barriers to consistent PPE use and strategies to overcome them. Sustainable compliance requires understanding why workers avoid PPE.

Lesson 1 • Sampling Methods and Equipment

Introduces common air sampling techniques including passive badges, active pumps, and direct-reading instruments. Matching method to substance type ensures valid data.

Lesson 2 • Record-Keeping and Trend Analysis

Establishes retention periods for monitoring and surveillance records and methods for spotting exposure trends. Long-term data enables proactive rather than reactive risk management.

Lesson 3 • Health Surveillance Requirements

Defines when health surveillance is legally required and what it must include for specific hazard groups. Links surveillance outcomes to control measure review.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Exposure Monitoring

Explains why and when workplace air monitoring is required and what it can and cannot confirm. Establishes monitoring as a verification tool, not a substitute for controls.

Lesson 1 • Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis

Introduces structured investigation methods to identify immediate causes and underlying system failures. Investigation findings must feed directly into control measure improvements.

Lesson 2 • Statutory Reporting Obligations

Explains when and how to report chemical incidents, occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences to regulators. Timely reporting is a legal duty and supports national hazard data.

Lesson 3 • First Aid for Chemical Exposure

Details immediate first aid actions for skin contact, eye exposure, inhalation, and ingestion incidents. Prompt correct action limits injury severity before medical help arrives.

Lesson 4 • Planning for Chemical Emergencies

Covers the elements of a site chemical emergency plan, including roles, resources, and communication. Effective planning reduces harm and recovery time when incidents occur.

Lesson 1 • Training and Competency Frameworks

Designs tiered training programs matched to worker roles and substance hazard levels. Competency verification ensures training translates into safe behavior.

Lesson 2 • Building a COSHH Management System

Covers the policy, procedures, roles, and resources needed to sustain a compliant COSHH program. A structured system prevents ad hoc compliance and gaps in coverage.

Lesson 3 • Internal Auditing of COSHH Controls

Teaches how to plan and conduct internal COSHH audits covering documentation, controls, and worker practice. Audits identify gaps before regulators or incidents do.

Lesson 4 • Reviewing and Updating Risk Assessments

Establishes triggers and methods for reviewing COSHH assessments after changes, incidents, or scheduled intervals. Outdated assessments create unmanaged risk.