A Guide to Safe Storage of Hazardous Substances in Manufacturing

For manufacturers, the safe storage of hazardous substances is a critical aspect of maintaining a secure and healthy work environment. Failure to properly store and handle these substances can result in harm to employees, the surrounding environment and costly penalties or legal consequences.

In this guide from the workplace safety experts at SafetyBuyer, we will highlight all of the essential factors to take into consideration in order to ensure that any hazardous substances you use on site can be stored safely, in line with the relevant health and safety legislation.

Who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace?

Every year, many people are injured or suffer ill health due to hazards in the workplace. According to the Health and Safety Executive, in 2021/22 1.8 million people were suffering from a work-related illness and 565,000 workers sustained an injury at work.

Effective health and safety practices and an appropriate workplace culture help to protect people from work-related hazards. It is essential that both the employer and employees understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to health and safety at work.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Act oversees occupational health and safety involving hazardous substances. While the name ‘COSHH’ is well known in many industries, it is often unclear who is legally responsible for implementing and complying with COSHH regulations on a day-to-day basis.

The delegated responsibility can be especially unclear when employees work off-site, or if an employee fails to follow control measures in place. As such, it is critical that all those involved in working with hazardous substances understand their duties and responsibilities in order to remain COSHH-compliant.

The significance of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) in nursing homes should never be underestimated. Over 1.8 million individuals working in the UK suffer from a work-related disease, according to the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), costing firms an estimated £18 billion every year.

COSHH regulations are a collection of laws that delegate safety responsibility to employers. The rules emphasise the need for risk assessments and management mechanisms in the workplace to limit exposure to hazardous chemicals and keep employees and customers safe from harm or injury. 

Here, the experts in COSHH at SafetyBuyer define COSHH and explain why it is so important in care homes. We shall also go over employer and employee responsibilities for COSHH compliance, as well as where hazardous compounds are most likely to be found in nursing homes.

All companies must try to prevent workplace accidents, but workplaces that use hazardous chemicals also have to follow the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health's (COSHH) requirements. This legislation means that if activities require the use of hazardous substances, appropriate storage and spill control measures must be offered. 

Your organisation should adopt solutions at the greatest level of compliance to guarantee that staff remain safe during everyday operations, whether that means implementing absorption solutions, secure storage choices, or spill control equipment...

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) is the law that governs occupational health and safety when handling hazardous substances. On work premises, however, it is not always clear who is legally responsible for putting COSHH into practice and adhering to it on a daily basis.

It is crucial that everyone involved in an organisation is aware of their duties and responsibilities in order to maintain COSHH compliance. The liability for enforcing COSHH can also be less clear when employees work off-site, or if an employee disregards control measures put in place to protect them from the harm posed by hazardous substances.

Companies must strive to prevent workplace accidents and adhere to the health standards set by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). If daily activities involve hazardous substances, they must provide adequate storage and spill control solutions relevant to hazardous substances. To ensure that your employees are protected from the possibility of dangerous spillages read the guide below on COSHH items every business should own.

Whether you are looking for spill containment equipment, secure storage options, or absorbent solutions, your business should implement solutions at the highest level of compliance, that ensure workers remain safe throughout daily activities.

COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH). It is a set of laws established to safeguard workers against ill health and harm when handling substances and materials that pose health hazards. These regulations have been in place since 2002, when they were introduced under the auspices of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). To put the COSHH regulations into effect, a business must carry out a COSHH risk assessment, focusing on the dangers of common substances and risks of ill health posed by the specific substances they use in their work.