COSHH symbols
You will use lots of different types of products every day.
Some of these will be hazardous substances that can be harmful and some can even cause death. In the workplace, you have a duty of care to make sure substances are used, stored and disposed of safely.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (known as COSHH) say that employers must identify which hazardous substances are present in the workplace.
Our COSHH course will provide you with lots of information and identify the many hazardous products that you will use in your role.
People are usually surprised by how many everyday products are hazardous.
We recommend you use this course to learn more about COSHH after the Care Certificate.
These are some examples of the hazardous substances you will find at work:
Were you surprised at any of these?
They are everywhere!
Flammable symbol
Hazardous products that are purchased will have a hazard warning triangle like this one for “flammable”.
There will also be manufacturer’s datasheets that you can download and read. These give vital information about what to do if there is an emergency involving the product.
Some of the more common issues relating to hazardous products in social care are:
- Bleach, for example, if an individual drinks this without understanding what it is, it can cause death. Spillages can cause nasty burns and also death in severe cases.
- Medication, for example, if an individual has too much (overdose) or too little (under dose), the wrong medication is given to the wrong person.
- Rubbish bins, for example, not being emptied or kept clean enough and attracting vermin leading to cross-contamination.
- Dirty laundry, for example, where people have soiled with blood, urine, sick or diarrhoea.
Hazardous substances can enter the body via these methods:
Inhalation (breathing in)
Ingestion (swallowing)
Injection (needle)
Absorption (through skin)
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