Legislation, along with environmental and ecological considerations, is constantly changing to make paints safer for the user and the environment. Whilst many of our products can be made or are offered in a water-based, virtually VOC free material, of necessity there will be for the foreseeable future, specialist coatings containing VOC solvents and in certain cases harmful and hazardous materials. These products should be considered as for Professional and Trade Use only. Full Technical and Health & Safety Data is available for all our products.

Prospective purchasers and users of any of our products, particularly those for Professional Use, should satisfy themselves that they have the necessary levels of expertise for all product application and understanding of relevant Health & Safety issues surrounding the use of any of these products.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Your Health and Safety responsibilities do not end once you have finished with a hazardous product or substance. LEGALLY you are also responsible for the correct disposal or recovery of any hazardous substance.

There are additional requirements for the disposal or treatment of waste and containers used for materials with "hazardous characteristics". These are termed "special wastes" and include solvent-based paint. We will gladly provide a Technical Data Sheet that will identify if the waste is a "special waste".

We recommend that you confirm with the HSE for current data and that you request up-to-date information from any other suppliers that you may be using.

Visit the website of the Health and Safety Executive: www.hse.gov.uk/coshh

COSHH: A guide to the Regulations.

This text does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law, nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended to help readers understand the general issues of COSHH within a decorating context.

What is COSHH?

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) (amended) requires every business to protect its workers, customers and the general public from the harmful effects of hazardous substances.

COSHH is a useful tool of good management which sets eight basic measures that employers, and sometimes employees, must take. These are set out in a leaflet available from the HSE in a simple step-by-step approach to help you assess risks, implement any measures needed to control exposure and establish good working practices.

If you as an employer fail to adequately control hazardous substances, your employees or others may become ill. Effects from hazardous substances range from mild eye irritation to chronic lung disease or, on occasions, death. This may:

• result in lost productivity to your business;
• leave you liable to enforcement action, including prosecution under the COSHH Regulations;
• result in civil claims from your employees.

There can be positive benefits to your business from carefully following through the requirements of COSHH:

• improved productivity as a result of using more effective controls (e.g. less use of raw material);
• improved employee morale;
• better employee understanding and compliance with health and safety requirements.

Hazardous substances

Hazardous substances include:

• substances used directly in work activities (e.g. adhesives, paints, cleaning agents);
• substances generated during work activities (e.g. fumes from soldering and welding);
• naturally occurring substances (e.g. grain dust);
• biological agents such as bacteria and other micro-organisms.

Where are hazardous substances found?

In nearly all work environments, for example:

• factories;
• shops;
• mines;
• farms;
• laboratories;
• offices.

Effects of hazardous substances

Examples of the effects of hazardous substances include:

• skin irritation or dermatitis as a result of skin contact;
• asthma as a result of developing allergy to substances used at work;
• losing consciousness as a result of being overcome by toxic fumes;
• cancer, which may appear long after the exposure to the chemical that caused it;
• infection from bacteria and other micro-organisms (biological agents).

COSHH assists employers who wish to follow good management by setting out eight basic measures that should be taken to assess and control exposure.

1 Assessing the risks

Assess the risks to health from hazardous substances used in or created by your workplace activities. 

2 Deciding on what precautions are needed

You must not carry out work which could expose your employees to hazardous substances without first considering the risks and the necessary precautions, and what else you need to do to comply with COSHH. 

3 Preventing or controlling exposure

You must prevent your employees being exposed to hazardous substances. Where preventing exposure is not reasonably practicable, you must adequately control it. The advice provided by the HSE will help you to make the right assessments and to put the appropriate controls in place.

4 Ensuring control measures are used and maintained

Key to COSHH is ensuring control measures are used and properly maintained and that safety procedures are adhered to.

5 Monitoring the exposure

Monitor the exposure of employees to hazardous substances, as and when necessary. 

6 Carry out appropriate health surveillance

Carry out appropriate health surveillance where your assessment has shown this is necessary or where COSHH has set specific requirements. 

7 Prepare contingencies to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies

You must prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies involving hazardous substances, where necessary.

8 Training and supervision of employees

You should provide your employees with suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. 

IMPORTANT NOTE

Your health and safety responsibilities do not end once you have finished with a hazardous product or substance. LEGALLY you are also responsible for the correct disposal or recovery of the hazardous substance.

There are additional requirements for the disposal or treatment of waste and containers used for materials with "hazardous characteristics". These are termed "special wastes" and include solvent-based paint. We will gladly supply a Technical Data Sheet that will identify if the waste is a "special waste".

Our notes on COSHH are correct at the time of writing and are intended as a guide. Technical Paint Services will supply Technical Data Sheets for individual products. We recommend that you confirm with the HSE for current data and also request up-to-date information from any alternative suppliers.

We recommend visiting the website of the Health and Safety Executive at www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/.

Please note:

This information is provided as a guide only. Please ensure you have satisfied yourself that your COSHH Assessment is in accordance with the Regulations and Approved Code of Practice.

Technical Paint Services does not accept any responsibility for your COSHH Assessment.

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