The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now revised and published the sixth edition of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) relating to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
The purpose of the revision is to seek to provide simplified practical advice to help dutyholders comply with the requirements of the COSHH Regulations. The revised guidance is aimed at management, supervisors, safety representatives and technical specialists.
Background to the revision
The ACOP has been published as part of the response to Professor Löfstedt's independent review of health and safety legislation entitled 'Reclaiming health and safety for all'. In his report Professor Löfstedt made the recommendation that the HSE should review all its Approved Codes of Practice.
The consultation for the draft revision for the ACOP relating to the COSHH Regulations began on 3 June and concluded on 23 August 2013.
The main amendments
The legal responsibilities to protect workers' health and safety are not altered by any changes to the ACOP.
The key revisions from the previous ACOP include:
- Re-wording the text to make it easier for duty holders to understand and comply with their legal duties including the simplification of specialist terminology
- The material supporting Regulations 7, 9, 10 and 11 has been updated to take account of legislative changes such as the introduction of the EU Regulations for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP)
- Moving information on the principles of good control practice from Schedule 2a to the guidance associated with Regulation 7
- Clarification of the requirements of Regulation 9, relating to thorough examination and test of control measures
- Information concerning worker involvement and consultation has been amended to be consistent with that in other ACOPs
The revised ACOP is available to download via the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l5.htm
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.