Free HSE template · COSHH Templates
COSHH Assessment Template
The COSHH assessment template is the chemical side of HSE as a document: the substance, who is exposed, by which route, how much, what controls are in place, and the residual risk, recorded per substance and carried in the COSHH register. It is the template the COSHH Regulations 2002 expect, and the one the inspector asks for first when the chemical is the question.
COSHH Assessment Template — the substance, the exposure, the control
The substance, how it is inhaled, touched or swallowed, the pre- and post-control score, and the control hierarchy. One sheet per substance.
1 · The substance
2 · How people are exposed
3 · Risk scores (before & after controls)
4 · Controls (hierarchy order)
| Level | Used? | What is done | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminate | |||
| Substitute | |||
| Engineering (ventilation, enclosure) | |||
| Administrative (procedure, training, rotation) | |||
| PPE (last line) |
5 · Exposure register (one line per substance)
| Substance | CAS | Area | Main control | Post score | Review |
|---|
Work through it substance by substance: the identity and the SDS, the exposure routes and the group, the pre-control score, the hierarchy of controls from elimination down to PPE, and the post-control score. Then add the line to the register, and the assessment and the register are one document. The worked example is a paint-thinning task, scored pre- and post-control, so a new assessor can see the finished document.
How to use the template
- Set the substance — the name, the CAS/EINECS number, the supplier, the quantity, the SDS on file
- Establish the exposure — the routes, the group exposed, the frequency and the duration
- Score the pre-control risk — likelihood times consequence, on the standard 5×5
- Work the hierarchy in order — elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE — and record what is in place
- Score the post-control risk, and write the gap the hierarchy has not closed
- Add the line to the COSHH register, print the assessment, and set the review
Worked example
The worked example is the paint-thinning station: MEK, 20 L drums, opened twice a week by two painters in a naturally ventilated bay. Pre-control 3×3=9, medium. The hierarchy: elimination no, substitution locked by the specification, engineering the extract and the closed transfer taking the likelihood to 2, administrative the procedure and the limit, PPE the gloves and the respirator as the last layer. Post-control 2×2=4, low. The register line: MEK, paint bay, extract plus procedure plus PPE, reviewed annually with the health surveillance.
Standard & legal context
The template implements the UK Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, which impose the assessment duty on the employer and set the method the HSE HSG138 carries. The EU REACH and CLP classification feed the substance data, and the OSHA HazCom 2012 standard, aligned to the GHS, is the US equivalent driving the SDS. The ISO 45001:2018 clause 6.1.2.3 covers the hazardous substances within the hazard identification duty, and the template is the UK, the EU and the ISO in one document.
Common mistakes
- Assessing the product on the label and not the process — the SDS is the substance, and the assessment is the exposure, which comes from the task
- Stopping at PPE — the respirator as the first control is the finding, not the plan, and the hierarchy is the order
- Assessing once and never re-assessing — the new batch, the new use, the spill that revealed the gap, the assessment is reviewed on the change
- The register as a printout nobody updates — the register is only as good as the last review date, and the template carries the date
Need the sign-off, not just the template?
The template is the preparation; the sign-off is the professional. For the statutory assessments, the audits, the ISO 45001 implementation and the training that comes with them, ask Muhammad Umer — 8+ years across Iraq, KSA and Pakistan, and the programme runs through umer-hse.pro. One message gets the written scope.
Common questions
COSHH Assessment Template — answered
What is a COSHH assessment template?
The documented evaluation of the hazardous substances at work: who is exposed, by which route and how much, what controls are in place in hierarchy order, and the pre- and post-control risk, recorded per substance in the COSHH register. It is the template the COSHH Regulations 2002 expect.
Is the COSHH assessment template free to use?
Yes — print it, fill it in substance by substance, and file it. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. For the high-risk substance or the statutory document, the template is the preparation and the competent person is the sign-off.
Does it cover the hierarchy of controls?
Yes — the hierarchy is a fixed section: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE, in that order, with the description per level. The order is the point, and the inspector reads it in that order.
How is it different from the COSHH register?
The assessment is the document per substance; the register is the portfolio of the significant substances across the site. The template carries both: the assessment form and the register table, so the two are one document.
Can I use it in the US?
Yes — the OSHA HazCom 2012 standard is the US equivalent, aligned to the GHS, and the template structure is the same. The standard section names the US and the EU equivalents, and the SDS is the data source in both.
Can I print or export it?
Yes — Print / Save as PDF gives the assessment and the register as a dated document, and Export CSV gives the register lines for your chemical record. The completed template is the document the inspector asks for.
Keep building
Related templates
COSHH Register Template
Free COSHH register template: the running record of the hazardous substances
COSHH TemplatesCOSHH Data Sheet Template
Free COSHH data sheet template: the one-page summary of the SDS
Risk Assessment TemplatesGeneral Risk Assessment Template
Free risk assessment template you can print and fill in: the 5 steps, the 5×5 scoring, the action plan and the
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY is an education and knowledge network. The templates are free and open; the professional assessments and audits run through umer-hse.pro.
Safety disclaimer
These templates are practical documents, built to the UK baseline with the US equivalents named on each page. They do not replace a competent person assessment for high-risk work, a statutory assessment, or the advice of your insurer. Where a document has legal force — the fire risk assessment, the COSHH register, the permit to work — the responsible person owns it. Use the template as the preparation, and the competent person as the sign-off.