COSHH
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 require workplace risks from hazardous substances to be assessed and controlled in Great Britain. An electrician may meet dusts, fumes, solvents or other substances on site. The controls depend on the substance and task; electrical isolation alone does not control exposure.
Using COSHH in context
Updated
Identify the duty and the task
A law, a risk assessment and a method statement do different jobs. Identify the duty, who is responsible and what controls the task needs. Training supports understanding; it does not remove the legal duty or replace a suitable plan for the work.
Questions to take further
- How can I revise COSHH beyond the definition?
- Explain what COSHH describes, compare it with a related term and use it in a topic question. State any assumptions and what evidence you would need before applying the idea to real work.
Sources
- HSE: electricity and the law — How electrical work sits alongside workplace legislation; follow the specific law and guidance for the task.
Where COSHH fits in the learning path
The Sparks Basics section covers these units:
- Working Safely
Curriculum mapping: C&G 2365 Unit 201.
See this section in the full curriculum
This section is on the free path. Lesson availability depends on content review and your learning path.
Read, practise, return
1. Read it in context
- C&G 2365 Level 2Sparks Basics
2. Try recalling, then explore practice
Use the memory prompt below to connect the vocabulary.
- Electrical Science — quiz previewFree · Electrical Science
3. Return to the meaning
After reading or practising, explain the idea in your own words, then check what you remembered.
Recall a related term
Which term fits this definition? Say it to yourself, then reveal it. This is a memory prompt, with no score or saved result.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is a broad framework for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. It places duties on employers and others whose activities can affect people, as well as duties on employees. Electrical work also has more specific rules, including the Electricity at Work Regulations.
HASAWA
Read the HASAWA entryCompare related terms
Open a meaning to compare its role with COSHH, or follow its full entry.
HASAWA — Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is a broad framework for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. It places duties on employers and others whose activities can affect people, as well as duties on employees. Electrical work also has more specific rules, including the Electricity at Work Regulations.
Read the HASAWA entryRAMS — Risk Assessment and Method Statement
The paperwork that comes before most jobs on a site. The risk assessment lists what could go wrong and how each risk will be controlled; the method statement sets out the safe order of work, step by step. Electricians read and follow them, often help write them, and a site manager will usually ask to see them before work starts. They belong to one specific job, and they are working documents rather than a qualification.
Read the RAMS entryPUWER — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 cover the suitability, maintenance and safe use of work equipment in Great Britain. For an electrician this can include tools, test instruments and access equipment. Checks and training must fit the equipment and task; a damaged tool should not be treated as safe because it still runs.
Read the PUWER entryA definition is a start. Using it in a real question is where it sticks.