Despite COSHH regulations existing for over 35 years, the Health and Safety Executive continues issuing fines for preventable chemical, dust, and fume exposures. What may be lacking is not laws, but the means and understanding to implement them effectively across UK workplaces.
The Five Most Common COSHH Mistakes
Mistake 1: Outdated or Incomplete Risk Assessments
One of the most frequent compliance failures is treating COSHH assessments as static documents rather than living safety processes that must evolve with your operations.
Real Case: £20,000 Fine
A stone company received a £20,000 fine after repeatedly failing to protect workers from respirable crystalline silica exposure. Despite receiving improvement notices, the company's assessments remained static while their processes changed, leaving workers exposed to serious respiratory hazards.
This case illustrates a critical problem: many businesses complete their initial COSHH assessments and then file them away, assuming the job is done. However, workplaces are dynamic environments. Processes change, new substances are introduced, equipment ages, and workforce composition shifts. An assessment that was accurate two years ago may now be dangerously out of date.
How to Prevent This
Prevention Strategies
- Review assessments annually or whenever substances or processes change
- Ensure documentation reflects current working practices - walk the floor and compare what is written to what actually happens
- Implement automated reminders for mandatory updates so reviews never slip through the cracks
Mistake 2: Poor Control of Dust and Fume Exposures
Inadequate extraction systems and neglected maintenance continue to be a major source of enforcement action. Having equipment installed is not enough - it must be properly designed, correctly commissioned, and regularly maintained.
Real Cases: £40,000 and £60,000 Fines
- A wood supplier faced £40,000 in fines for inadequate extraction systems lacking proper maintenance
- Another company received £60,000 for similar violations, with inspectors noting "little to no improvements" despite repeated warnings
These cases demonstrate that simply installing extraction equipment provides no protection if systems are not properly designed for the specific application, regularly tested, and promptly repaired when issues are identified.
How to Prevent This
Prevention Strategies
- Conduct LEV testing and maintenance every 14 months minimum - this is the statutory requirement for most systems
- Maintain detailed inspection and maintenance records - inspectors will ask to see these
- Train employees to recognise and report ventilation issues - they are your first line of defence
LEV Testing Requirements
Most Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems require thorough examination and testing at least every 14 months. Some processes with higher risks require more frequent testing. Records must be kept for at least 5 years and made available to HSE inspectors on request.
Mistake 3: Lack of Clear Responsibility for Health and Safety
When safety responsibilities are shared but not explicitly assigned, critical tasks often fall through organisational cracks. Without clear accountability structures, essential compliance activities simply do not happen.
Real Case: £60,000 Fine
A stone company was fined £60,000 when inspectors discovered that "no one was in charge of health and safety." The investigation revealed a complete absence of defined safety roles, leaving the organisation unable to demonstrate any systematic approach to compliance.
This demonstrates how shared responsibility often fails without explicit accountability structures. When everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. Critical tasks like assessment reviews, equipment checks, and training updates fall between the gaps.
How to Prevent This
Prevention Strategies
- Assign designated COSHH/safety officers with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
- Document safety responsibilities across all departments - make it explicit who does what
- Schedule regular compliance reviews to verify implementation and identify gaps before inspectors do
Mistake 4: Inadequate Training and Communication
Training failures can have devastating consequences. Effective training goes beyond initial induction - it must be ongoing, role-specific, and verified through competency checks.
Real Case: £1 Million Fine
A grocery wholesaler received a £1 million fine after a worker was fatally crushed by a reversing HGV. The investigation cited inadequate training for banksmen as a key contributing factor. This tragic case demonstrates that training gaps can have fatal consequences.
This case underscores that inadequate training is not just a compliance issue - it is a matter of life and death. Training must be practical, role-specific, and regularly reinforced.
How to Prevent This
Prevention Strategies
- Provide role-specific, practical training for all hazardous operations
- Maintain attendance records and competency checks - training without verification is incomplete
- Reinforce training through on-the-job briefings and supervisor spot-checks
- Take advantage of free resources - Sevron offers free COSHH training through Knights of Safety Academy
Mistake 5: Failure to Maintain and Test Control Equipment
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems and other control equipment require regular testing and examination at mandated intervals. Neglecting these statutory requirements consistently results in enforcement action.
Real Case: £10,000 Fine
A company faced £10,000 in fines for neglecting LEV system examinations on welding and powder-coating equipment. Despite receiving prior improvement notices, the company failed to conduct the required statutory examinations.
Companies continue to be fined for failing to conduct required testing, not maintaining examination records, operating equipment that has failed its inspection, and delaying essential repairs and maintenance.
How to Prevent This
Prevention Strategies
- Conduct statutory examinations at required intervals - most LEV systems need testing every 14 months
- Maintain comprehensive logs of all tests, replacements, and repairs
- Perform pre-use visual checks and periodic spot tests between formal examinations
How to Stay COSHH-Compliant in 2025
The common thread through all these failures is reactive rather than proactive compliance. Companies get into trouble when they treat COSHH as a box-ticking exercise rather than an ongoing management system. Forward-thinking safety leaders employ five key strategies:
1. Keep Assessments Alive
Review your COSHH assessments regularly, especially whenever there are changes to processes, substances, or equipment. A dated assessment provides no legal protection and may not reflect current workplace realities.
2. Close the Feedback Loop
Integrate incidents and near-misses into your review cycles. Every incident is an opportunity to learn and improve your control measures before a more serious event occurs.
3. Document Accountability
Create clear responsibility trails showing who did what and when. This not only ensures tasks get done but demonstrates to inspectors that you have a systematic approach to compliance.
4. Integrate Training with Operations
Make COSHH awareness part of onboarding and ongoing practice, not a one-off event. Training should be reinforced through toolbox talks, supervisor engagement, and competency verification.
5. Leverage Automation
Use digital tools for reminders, updates, and audit trails. Automation removes the human error from compliance scheduling and creates the documentation trail you need for inspections.
How Sevron Can Help
Managing COSHH compliance across multiple substances, locations, and processes is challenging. Sevron provides a comprehensive platform designed to help organisations stay ahead of their compliance requirements.
The Accelerated Compliance Framework
Sevron's approach helps organisations transform their compliance through three pillars:
Certified
Your COSHH and SDS documents are verified with automatic updates from trusted sources. Never worry about outdated safety data sheets again - Sevron ensures your documentation stays current with regulatory changes and supplier updates.
Competent
Built-in reminders, training records, and audit trails ensure your team knows how to apply controls correctly. Track who has been trained, when refreshers are due, and verify competency across your workforce.
Compliant
Logged actions and traceable updates simplify inspections. When the HSE visits, demonstrate your systematic approach to COSHH management with comprehensive documentation at your fingertips.
Sevron also provides free COSHH training through Knights of Safety Academy, helping your team build the knowledge they need to work safely with hazardous substances.
Our Safety-Verse platform brings together all aspects of workplace safety management, making it easier than ever to maintain compliance across your entire operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is COSHH compliance?
COSHH compliance involves following UK regulations designed to protect workers from harmful substances. This includes conducting thorough risk assessments, implementing appropriate control measures, maintaining up-to-date Safety Data Sheets, providing staff training, and ongoing monitoring of workplace exposures. The regulations apply to any workplace where employees may come into contact with hazardous substances, whether chemicals, dusts, fumes, or biological agents.
What are the most common COSHH mistakes?
The most frequent mistakes that lead to HSE enforcement action include:
- Outdated assessments - failing to review when processes or substances change
- Poor dust and fume control - inadequate extraction systems or neglected maintenance
- Unclear accountability - no designated person responsible for COSHH compliance
- Insufficient training - employees unaware of hazards or control measures
- Neglected equipment maintenance - failing to test LEV systems at required intervals
All of these mistakes can potentially lead to enforcement action and, more importantly, can put workers' health at risk.
How often should COSHH assessments be reviewed?
The HSE recommends reviewing COSHH assessments at least annually. However, assessments should also be reviewed whenever:
- Processes or substances change
- New safety data becomes available
- There has been an incident suggesting current controls are inadequate
- The workforce changes significantly
- New equipment is introduced
A good rule of thumb is: if anything changes that could affect exposure, review your assessment.
Who is responsible for COSHH compliance?
Employers hold the legal responsibility for COSHH compliance. However, effective compliance requires contribution at every level of the organisation:
- Senior management must provide resources and demonstrate commitment
- Managers and supervisors implement systems and ensure controls are followed
- Workers must follow safe working practices and report concerns
Clear accountability prevents responsibility gaps. The key is to have named individuals responsible for specific COSHH duties, with documented roles and regular verification that tasks are being completed.
How can software like Sevron help with COSHH compliance?
Sevron's Safety365 platform automates many of the administrative burdens of COSHH compliance:
- Automatic SDS updates ensure your safety data sheets stay current
- Training tracking monitors who has been trained and when refreshers are due
- Audit trail maintenance creates the documentation trail you need for inspections
- Version control ensures everyone works from the latest documents
- Automated reminders ensure reviews and tests happen on schedule
This enables organisations to remain Certified, Competent, and Compliant in a sustainable, manageable way.
Do not wait for an inspection or an incident to expose gaps in your COSHH compliance. Contact our team to learn how Sevron can help you avoid costly mistakes and build a robust compliance system.
Safety & Compliance Experts
The Sevron team brings decades of combined experience in health and safety compliance, risk assessment, and workplace safety solutions.
Reviewed by
Dale Allen
CEO & Founder
