How Often Should You Do COSHH Training? Detailed Discussion

Controlling hazardous substances comes with many significant risks. Employers are required to prevent risks and keep employees safe. A COSHH training programme can help employers maintain a safe working environment for all employees. After completing a COSHH training, you might wonder, “How often should you do COSHH training?”

A COSHH training should be refreshed every 1-3 years, but there is no legal time limit. In the UK, COSHH refreshing training depends on the workplace risks and the employers’ requirements. It is best to refresh COSHH training annually. Because if any changes happened, you would be updated with the changes.

If you work with chemicals, cleaning agents, or any substances hazardous to health, this training is essential for you. Let’s explore the blog and have a detailed discussion about COSHH training.

What is COSHH training?

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health training (or COSHH training) teaches you how to identify chemical risks and safely handle chemical substances to prevent illness and injury. This training helps employees understand the risks of chemicals, read safety data sheets, handle chemical dust, and use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). 

COSHH is a UK regulation and enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which helps employers and employees understand how to handle hazardous substances safely. According to HSE, there are around 12000 lung disease deaths each year in the UK. Many of the deaths are linked to past exposure to harmful chemical substances at work.

Following this regulation makes the workplace safe and risk-free for the employees. This highlights the importance of COSHH training and how COSHH knowledge actually saves lives. 

What are the main regulations of COSHH?

The main regulations for COSHH are the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This applies to employers to control risks from hazardous substances in the workplace. In the UK, all businesses must comply with the COSHH regulations to better understand what substances are being used, decide if they are harmful, and ensure staff know how to work with them safely.

These legal procedures and requirements protect workers from substances like chemicals, dusts, fumes and biological agents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that every year in the UK, businesses lose over billions of pounds every year caused by chemical exposure. Maintaining proper COSHH compliance protects both people and profit.

Is COSHH training a legal requirement?

COSHH training is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the COSHH Regulations 2002. Anyone who works with or could be exposed to hazardous substances, such as cleaners, maintenance team members, lab technicians, and other office employees who work with chemicals. 

Every employer has a duty to ensure staff are well-informed about COSHH knowledge. This includes where the COSHH file is kept, how to interpret SDS sheets, and what to do in an emergency. When training is missing or outdated, employers are at a high risk of fines, legal issues and workplace injuries. 

How Often Should You Do Coshh Training?

There is no mandatory time to refresh the COSHH Training, but it is recommended to refresh the course every 1-3 years. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not set any restricted time for refreshing training. Depending on the risk and changes of the substances used, the work environment, or following an incident, the training should be refreshed more frequently. 

You should also refresh your training, if there are :

• New substances or cleaning chemicals are being introduced
• Updated workplace exposure limits (WEL)
• A spill, near miss, or safety incident
• A change in job role or new responsibilities

In the UK, many employers suggest COSHH training should be done annually. This helps employers to create a safe environment for their employees. Regular refreshing training helps workers be aware of new risks and legal updates.

Difference between COSHH Assessment Review vs. COSHH Training Refresh

Many workplaces in the UK are confused between COSHH Assessment Review and the COSHH Training Refresh. These two serve different purposes. In short, A COSHH assessment review is a formal assessment of existing risk and documentation for specific hazardous substances and tasks. And the COSHH training refresh is a process of updating the COSHH knowledge and awareness of COSHH principles and safety procedures.

Here are some detailed differences between COSHH Assessment Review and COSHH Training Refresh:

Benefits of refreshing COSHH training

Refreshing the COSHH Training is not just about maintaining the law. Following this, make the workplace safe for workers and employers. This reduces the risk and helps people stay up to date on new chemicals and recent incidents.

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Benefits for the employees

Regular updates of COSHH training come with many benefits for the employees. Some of them are:

1. Improve safety and health

Refreshing the training helps employees keep safe. When workers learn about the risks in a hazardous situation, they can protect themselves from breathing problems, skin irritation, and even long-term organ damage.

2. Gain confidence and competence

Updating knowledge helps employees gain confidence in hazardous situations. Also support the learners of PPE use, emergency steps and handling the chemicals. This is very important when new chemicals, tools, or processes are introduced.

3. Understanding of the responsibilities

A refreshing course helps you understand your responsibilities and make the workplace safe for everyone. This promotes a safer working environment and helps maintain the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rules and regulations.

4. Reduce accidents and injuries 

If any incident occurs, a trained staff member can act quickly and correctly. They know what to do, who to notify, how to minimise harm and how to document the incident. This quick response can make a huge difference in an emergency situation.

Benefits for the employers

Refreshing COSHH training also brings benefits for the employers and the business. Some of the benefits are:

1. Help maintain legal compliance

Health and Safety Executives (HSE) COSHH regulation 2002 requires employers to provide proper up-to-date COSHH training. This helps businesses from any kind of legal penalties, HSE action, or any kind of compensation claims. This keeps the employees safe and protects the company.

2. Create a better reputation and trust

Refreshing training regularly not only benefits maintaining the legal compliance but also creates a better reputation. It builds trust for the clients and the partners. Also, future employees will feel safe.

3. Reduce costs and downtime

Up-to-date training reduces accidents, and when accidents drop, so do the costs. Low accident means lower insurance claims and fewer compensation payouts. This saves a huge amount of money. Many organisations invest in regular COSHH training, which ends up saving a lot of money in the long run.

4. Boost productivity

When the employees feel safe, they can focus on work with confidence. This creates an efficient workplace without worrying about what might happen if an incident occurs, and this benefits the organisation.

5. Create smooth HSE audit and inspections

Refresher training also helps with audits and inspections. Keeping records up to date clearly shows that the organisation is maintaining the UK laws and regulations. This makes it smooth during inspections from HSE or internal audits.

How do I get a COSHH certificate?

You can get a COSHH certificate by completing an online COSHH training course with an approved provider like Essential Safety Training. Through the online training, you’ll learn the meaning of COSHH in health and safety, your COSHH responsibilities and how to perform COSHH risk assessments.

After successfully completing a short assessment, many online course providers like Essential Safety Training offer you a free online certificate. Also, with flexible learning, you can complete the training course at your own pace. Employers can train multiple employees without downtime.

The COSHH training does not have a specific expiry time. Most workplaces refresh COSHH training every 12 months to keep everyone compliant and up to date. If you’re ready to get certified, you can start your COSHH course with Essential Safety Training and complete it at your own pace.

FAQ

Conclusion

So, learning about how often should you do COSHH training is essential for keeping your workplace safe and compliant with UK law. Staying up to date helps prevent accidents, reduce health risks, and maintain a confident, secure workplace.

If it’s been a while, you have done your COSHH training, you should refresh your training in 1-3 years. While the law doesn’t set any exact time frame, it is best practice to refresh your training annually.