COSHH register
For the helpdesk teamCOSHH register
Section titled “COSHH register”COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) requires schools to maintain a register of hazardous substances on-site, with the relevant Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and control measures documented.
What’s on a substance
Section titled “What’s on a substance”- Reference — auto-assigned. Helpful when cross-referencing in RAs.
- Name — substance trade name.
- Manufacturer — who makes it.
- Hazard class — corrosive, flammable, toxic, etc. UN/CLP categories.
- Hazard pictograms — the GHS symbols on the bottle.
- Where used / who uses it — “science lab, technicians and authorised teachers only”.
- Storage location — “locked chemical cupboard, prep room”.
- Risk assessment — link to the RA covering its use.
- Control measures — ventilation, PPE, training requirements.
- First aid information — what to do if exposed.
- Disposal method — special waste route.
- Review due — date the SDS / risk assessment needs revisiting.
- SDS attachment — the PDF SDS from the manufacturer.
- Is active — flag. Substances no longer in use stay in the register but with
is_active = false.
When to review
Section titled “When to review”Review whenever:
- The substance is reformulated (new SDS issued by manufacturer).
- The use case changes (new activity it’s now used for).
- An incident involving the substance occurs.
- Two years pass — the standard COSHH review cycle.
Substances with review_due in the past sort to the top of the index.
Gotchas
Section titled “Gotchas”- The register is for substances brought onto site for use. Naturally-occurring hazards (asbestos in old building fabric, etc.) belong in an asbestos register, not here.
- Don’t delete entries when you stop using a substance. Mark inactive — RIDDOR / occupational-health investigations may need to know what was on site historically.
- The SDS file is the manufacturer’s responsibility — make sure you have the current version. If the SDS is more than 2 years old, request a fresh one.