Staff working in dental practice will handle, store and use some substances that are hazardous to health. For example:
- cleaning products
- dental materials
- medicines
- bodily fluids
- latex
- office supplies.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) defines the legal requirements for providers to protect the health of people in the workplace from hazardous substances. This includes:
- employees
- self-employed staff
- others, for example, patients, visitors, cleaning staff and dental laboratory staff handling dental impressions and appliances.
Harmful substances
COSHH covers substances including:
- chemicals, for example, cleaning products
- medicines, for example, local anaesthetics
- products containing chemicals, for example, dental materials and office supplies
- gases, for example, oxygen and nitrous oxide
- potentially infected blood and bodily fluids.
COSHH does not cover lead, asbestos or radioactive substances because these substances have their own specific regulations.
What you have to do
You can prevent or reduce staff exposure to hazardous substances by:
- finding out what the health hazards are
- deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment)
- providing and ensuring staff use control measures to reduce health risks
- keeping all control measures in good working order
- providing information, instruction and training for staff and others
- providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases
- planning for emergencies.
COSHH risk assessment
COSHH Regulation 6(1)(a) requires that employers should not carry out work liable to expose employees to substances hazardous to health until they have evaluated and minimised all risks.
The person responsible must protect employees and others from harm. The minimum they must do is:
- identify what could cause injury or illness in the business (hazards)
- assess the risk
- take action to remove the hazard, or if this is not possible, control the risk.
You can complete a risk assessment yourself. Follow these steps to manage the risks associated with COSHH substances.
Identify hazards
- What chemicals and substances do you use in the workplace and how do you currently use them?
- The general state of the premises.
Assess the risks
- Assess both the likelihood of harm to someone and how severe the harm could be.
Control the risks
- Replace substances with less hazardous ones.
- Identify and implement practical safety measures, including how to store and label substances.
- Provide personal protective equipment and make sure staff wear it.
Record your findings
- Record your risk assessment. You must do this if you have 5 or more staff. But it makes sense to write down what steps you have taken to identify the risks even with fewer staff.
Review the controls
- Review the risk assessment regularly to ensure it is up to date, reflects workplace changes, and confirms that controls are working.
Regulation 6(1)(b) introduces a further requirement to implement the steps highlighted in the assessment before commencing any work liable to expose employees to any relevant hazardous substances.