Free COSHH assessment template (2026). Editable PDF with substance, exposure route, controls, PPE, health surveillance and emergency response. UK COSHH 2002 aligned.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a COSHH assessment for every product?
- For every substance hazardous to health — anything with a CLP pictogram, plus dusts and fumes. Tap water doesn't need one. Cleaning chemicals, fuels, paints, adhesives and most building products do.
- Can I use the supplier's SDS as the assessment?
- No. The SDS is generic to the product. The assessment has to consider how YOU use it on YOUR site with YOUR controls.
- What is a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL)?
- A legal limit on the airborne concentration of a substance, listed in HSE document EH40. If a substance has a WEL, you must control exposure below it.
- How often does a COSHH assessment need reviewing?
- Annually at minimum, immediately when the product, process or workforce changes, and after any incident or symptom report.
- Who signs the COSHH assessment?
- A competent person — usually the supervisor or H&S advisor — plus an attendance record from every operative briefed on it.
- What's the difference between COSHH and a RAMS?
- A RAMS covers the whole task; a COSHH assessment is the substance-specific risk assessment that feeds into it. On a job involving hazardous substances you need both.