(COSHH) Policy - the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust website...

Significant quantities of any kind of dust.
Any other substances capable of creating comparable risks to health to those
listed above.
2.1 Terminology
Those persons with responsibilities for Health and Safety and the COSHH
regulations should make themselves aware of the terms used, as this will promote a
better understanding of those responsibilities.
Substance type
A substance hazardous to health can be found in any of the following forms: -
Hazard
Liquid Gas Fume Solid
Aerosols Vapour Dust Micro-organism
The hazard presented by a substance is its potential to cause harm, which can be
through:
Inhalation (through dust, vapours, fumes etc)
Ingestion (directly from swallowing or indirectly from settlement on hands
etc.)
Absorbed through the skin (directly or from contaminated surfaces or
clothing)
Injected into the body (by high pressure or contaminated sharps)
Risk
The risk from a substance is the likelihood that it will cause harm whilst being used
or stored and will depend on: -
The hazard presented by the substance
How it is used or stored
How it is controlled
Who is exposed, what they are exposed to, for how long and how much
and what activity they are doing
2.2 Substance Identification
Substances can be found in a variety of containers including drums, bottles and
packages etc. However, not all of these contain substances that are hazardous to
health.
The labels on products that have been identified as “Substances Hazardous to
Health” can be readily identified from those that are not, as they display specific
pictorial symbols indicating the hazard they pose. For example, a black cross on an
orange background, meaning that substance is Harmful or Irritant. The symbol will
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