9.6 What the Regulations require

The wording of Regulation 6 of the COSHH Regulations changed considerably in the 2002 version of the Regulations, with Sub-paragraph (2) making it much more specific on the factors which must be taken into account during the assessment. The Regulation now states:

1. An employer shall not carry on any work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he has

   1. made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of those employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of these Regulations; and

   2. implemented the steps referred to in sub-paragraph (a).

2. The risk assessment shall include consideration of

   1. the hazardous properties of the substance;

   2. information on health effects provided by the supplier, including information contained in any relevant safety data sheet;

   3. the level, type and duration of exposure;

   4. the circumstances of the work, including the amount of the substance involved;

   5. activities, such as maintenance, where there is the potential for a high level of exposure;

   6. any relevant workplace exposure limit or similar occupational exposure limit;

   7. the effect of preventive and control measures which have been or will be taken in accordance with regulation 7;

   8. the results of relevant health surveillance;

   9. the results of monitoring of exposure in accordance with regulation 10;

   10. in circumstances where the work will involve exposure to more than one substance hazardous to health,...