Hazardous substances in your business

By law, employers have to control exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health.

We are responsible for the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act and associated legislation in over 5,000 service and leisure premises throughout Brent. These premises include offices, shops, warehouses, consumer services and entertainment venues where hazardous substances may be used or stored.

As an employer you have to protect employees and others who may be exposed under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health.

If employers fail to adequately control such substances, and people become ill as a result, it may mean:

• lost productivity to your business
• possible enforcement action and prosecution
• civil claims from your employees.

Hazardous substances include those:

• used directly in work activities (eg adhesives, paints, cleaning products)
• generated during work activities (eg fumes from soldering and welding)
• that are naturally occurring substances (eg grain dust)
• that are bacteria and other micro-organisms
• that are biological agents either by direct contact (eg farming) or indirectly by accidental exposure (eg an air conditioning system which is poorly maintained)

Any kind of dust and any other substance including:

• Asphyxiants
• Pesticides
• Medicines
• Cosmetics
• Substances produced in the chemical processes

If you are worried that your business maybe producing or using hazardous substances, you will need to make an assessment of the risks associated with your business. This is called a COSHH assessment.

Read about the COSHH assessment and other information for businesses dealing with hazardous substances.

Under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 and associated Regulations you must apply for permission if you wish to store or use defined quantities of hazardous substances, such as natural gas or petrol. This is so that we can assess the risk of fire, explosion etc to people in the surrounding area.

Get advice and information about permits for using substances hazardous to the environment from GOV.UK

You will also need to look into necessary training for your employees.

Asbestos is harmful and can cause serious diseases. It is a material that has been used as an insulator (to keep in heat and keep out cold). Asbestos could be in any building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000. Building materials that contain asbestos include:

• ceiling tiles
• floor tiles
• window panels
• pipe insulation
• boilers
• sprayed coatings.

If you run a small business, such as a shop and small industrial unit, use the HSE's asbestos guides to help you protect your workers, understand your obligations and make plans to manage your asbestos.

If you have asbestos-containing materials in your work place in areas such as your roofs, walls, boilers and pipework you are required to manage its presence and condition and contact us if parts of the building containing asbestos are worked on or removed.

Email: ens.healthandsafety@brent.gov.uk