CSCS COSHH 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does COSHH stand for?
- Control of Safety and Health Hazards
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Correct answer)
- Code of Safety and Health at Home
- Committee on Substances Hazardous to Health
Correct answer: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. These regulations require employers to control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace to prevent ill health.
Question 2: How many sections does a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) contain under the REACH Regulation?
- 8 sections
- 12 sections
- 16 sections (Correct answer)
- 20 sections
Correct answer: 16 sections
Under the UK REACH Regulation, a Safety Data Sheet must contain 16 sections covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, fire-fighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls, physical properties, stability, toxicology, ecology, disposal, transport, regulatory information, and other information.
Question 3: What is the correct hierarchy of control measures under COSHH?
- PPE first, then ventilation, then substitution
- Eliminate, substitute, enclose, ventilate, PPE (Correct answer)
- Ventilate, enclose, eliminate, substitute, PPE
- PPE, training, signage, substitution, elimination
Correct answer: Eliminate, substitute, enclose, ventilate, PPE
The COSHH hierarchy of control is: eliminate the substance entirely, substitute with a less hazardous alternative, enclose the process, use local exhaust ventilation (LEV), and finally use PPE as a last resort. PPE should never be the first line of defence.
Question 4: What does the GHS skull and crossbones hazard symbol indicate?
- Flammable substance
- Irritant substance
- Acute toxicity — may be fatal or cause serious harm if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin (Correct answer)
- Corrosive substance
Correct answer: Acute toxicity — may be fatal or cause serious harm if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin
The GHS skull and crossbones symbol (GHS06) indicates acute toxicity. Substances bearing this symbol may be fatal or cause serious harm through inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption. Workers must follow strict COSHH controls when handling such substances.
Question 5: Under COSHH 2002, who is responsible for carrying out a COSHH assessment on a construction site?
- Individual workers
- The Health and Safety Executive
- The employer or self-employed person (Correct answer)
- The local authority
Correct answer: The employer or self-employed person
Under the COSHH Regulations 2002, it is the employer's (or self-employed person's) duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health from hazardous substances and to implement appropriate control measures.
Question 6: What is a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL)?
- The maximum number of hours a worker can be exposed to any substance
- The legal maximum concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air, averaged over a reference period (Correct answer)
- The maximum amount of PPE a worker must wear
- The limit on the number of hazardous substances allowed on site
Correct answer: The legal maximum concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air, averaged over a reference period
A Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) is the maximum concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a specified reference period (typically 8 hours TWA or 15-minute STEL), to which workers may be exposed. WELs are listed in HSE publication EH40.
CSCS COSHH 1
What does COSHH stand for?