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COSHH & Equipment Safety UK: Employer Duties Guide

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Part ofUK Health & Safety Law

Written by Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)
Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice.
Updated June 2026 · England & Wales
If you run a business in the UK, keeping people safe at work is not optional. The moment your team starts using machinery, display screens, chemicals, or any substance that could cause harm, a layer of legal duties kicks in that you are expected to understand and manage. This page walks through the practical side of equipment safety and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regime in plain English. I'll cover what the regulations actually require, the kinds of records employers tend to keep, and where most businesses trip up. Whether you're a first-time employer or tidying up your compliance after a period of growth, the goal here is to give you a clearer sense of the ground you need to cover and the decisions you'll likely face along the way.

Overview

COSHH is shorthand for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, which set out how employers must manage substances that can harm workers. That covers a much wider range of materials than people often realise: cleaning products, solvents, adhesives, welding fumes, wood dust, flour, biological agents, and anything else that might be breathed in, swallowed, absorbed through the skin, or get into the eyes.

Equipment health and safety sits alongside COSHH and is driven by a separate set of rules, including the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, and the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations. Together, these frameworks expect employers to identify hazards, assess the risks, put sensible controls in place, train staff properly, and keep records that show the thinking behind the decisions.

None of this needs to be complicated, but it does need to be done, and it needs to be revisited when things change.

Key steps

  1. Map out your hazards. Walk through your workplace and list everything that could cause harm. That means chemicals stored in cupboards, power tools, office chairs and screens, forklifts, cleaning agents, and any process that creates dust, fumes, or noise. A hazard you haven't identified is one you cannot control.
  2. Complete risk assessments. For each hazard, work out who might be harmed, how, and how likely it is. COSHH assessments focus on substances, while PUWER covers machinery and work equipment. The assessment should be written down in enough detail that someone else could understand your reasoning and act on it.
  3. Put controls in place. Once you know the risks, decide how to reduce them. That often means substituting safer products, using extraction, guarding moving parts, issuing personal protective equipment, or changing how a task is done. Controls should follow the hierarchy: eliminate first, then reduce, then protect.
  4. Train and communicate. Staff need to understand the risks they face and how the controls work. That includes showing them how to use equipment safely, how to handle substances, what PPE to wear, and what to do if something goes wrong. Training should be refreshed, not a one-off box-tick exercise.
  5. Review and keep records. Regulations expect you to monitor whether your controls are working and update your assessments when circumstances change, such as new equipment, new products, or a near miss. Keep written records of assessments, training, PPE issued, equipment checks, and any incidents reported.

Common questions

If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Common questions

Q Which substances are covered by COSHH?
COSHH applies to a broad range of materials, including chemicals, fumes, vapours, mists, dusts, gases, and biological agents such as bacteria. It does not cover asbestos, lead, or radioactive substances, which have their own dedicated regulations. If a substance has a hazard symbol on the label, or if a process creates something harmful like wood dust or welding fume, it is almost certainly within scope.
Q Do small businesses really need to do COSHH assessments?
Yes. The duty applies regardless of size. A small office using everyday cleaning products still needs to assess them, although the assessment will usually be short and straightforward. The key point is that you've thought about the risks and documented your approach. Enforcement tends to focus on whether you took the duty seriously, not whether you produced a lengthy document.
Q What is the difference between PUWER and COSHH?
PUWER covers work equipment and machinery, setting standards for safety, suitability, maintenance, and training. COSHH covers substances that can harm health. Many workplaces need both because a single task, such as using a cutting machine with coolant, involves equipment hazards under PUWER and substance exposure under COSHH. The assessments sit side by side rather than overlapping.
Q Who is responsible for display screen equipment assessments?
The employer is responsible for carrying out workstation assessments for anyone classed as a regular user of display screen equipment. That typically means employees who use a screen for a significant part of their day. The assessment looks at the screen, keyboard, chair, desk, lighting, and working posture, and identifies adjustments that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal or visual problems.
Q When should PPE be provided and paid for?
Personal protective equipment should be used when risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means. Employers must provide suitable PPE free of charge where it is needed for work. PPE should fit properly, be compatible with other equipment worn, and be maintained. Training on how to use and store PPE correctly is just as important as the kit itself.
Q How often should risk assessments be reviewed?
There is no fixed timetable in the regulations. Assessments should be reviewed whenever there is reason to think they may no longer be valid, for example after a change of equipment, a new product, a new process, a near miss, or an incident. Many businesses also carry out a scheduled review annually as a sensible discipline, even where nothing obvious has changed.
Q What records should I keep to show compliance?
Useful records include written risk assessments, COSHH assessments, equipment inspection and maintenance logs, PPE issue records, training attendance, display screen assessments, and any incident or near-miss reports. If an inspector visits or an employee raises a concern, these records demonstrate that you have thought about the risks and acted on them rather than leaving things to chance.
If you're dealing with this kind of situation, a call with an experienced legal adviser can help you work out the right next step — from £89.

Sources

This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.

Brad Askew, Solicitor (non-practising)

Written & reviewed by

Brad Askew Solicitor (non-practising)

Brad is on the roll of solicitors of England & Wales but does not hold a practising certificate and does not provide legal advice. LegalDocuments.co.uk is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice.

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Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.