Risk Assessments & COSHH Basics

Five vocabulary flashcards covering key terminology from the Risk Assessments lecture.

Risk Assessment

A systematic process of evaluating potential hazards in an activity or workspace to record risks and plan interventions that keep individuals safe.

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)

A specific type of risk assessment focused on substances hazardous to health; asks how a substance is used, its exposure risks, associated hazards, and how exposure can be prevented.

Supplier-provided document detailing a substance’s identifiers, hazards, first-aid, handling, storage, PPE and more; essential for writing a COSHH assessment but not a COSHH assessment itself.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL)

The maximum allowed concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air, averaged over a set time period; exposures should stay below this value unless fully contained.

Hierarchy of Control Measures

Ranked methods for reducing exposure: Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls, and, as a last resort, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).