| File Reference : | P-79 Hazardous Substances Policy |
| Date File Updated | 30-09-26 |
| Category | Policies | Tags: hazardous substances policy, COSHH, substances register, health surveillance |
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A hazardous substances policy template covering the substances register, safer alternatives, competent assessments, monitoring, health surveillance and training.
This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:
- Policy number and title
- Information-classification
- Version
- Page number / total pages
Further guidance on hazardous substances:
Download this policy template with your company name and logo already added!
Document Preparation is included with the alphaZ subscription.
This file is included in the alphaZ subscription. This policy is also included in the COSHH Toolkit.
If you'd like this policy prepared for your organisation along with the rest of your company policies, or help preparing your risk assessments and COSHH assessments, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.
Hazardous Substances Policy Template
A hazardous substances policy template committing to prevent or reduce risks from exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, and to reduce the use of hazardous substances wherever possible.
The policy has Approved By and Date Approved fields and carries a Public information classification, so it can be shared with workers, clients and other interested parties.
What the Hazardous Substances Policy Covers
- Compliance - meeting legislation on the management and control of hazardous substances
- Forms of hazardous substances - chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, biological agents, mists and gases
- Reducing use - every reasonable step to reduce the use of hazardous substances
- Substances register - an inventory of hazardous substances used or created in the workplace
- Safer alternatives - avoiding hazardous substances where safer ones can be used
- Risk assessment - carried out by competent persons, with no new substance introduced before it is assessed
- Monitoring and health surveillance - exposure monitoring where required, and health surveillance where there is a risk to health
- Information and training - for workers on all substances they may use or be exposed to
- Workers' duties - using engineering controls, systems of work and PPE as the risk assessment requires
- Review - at least once a year at management review
Two Versions Supplied
The main policy refers to the legislation on hazardous substances without naming it. P-79 Hazardous Substances Policy (V2) names the COSHH Regulations, refers to the COSHH register and COSHH assessments, and adds a legislation section, for organisations in the UK that want the references spelled out.
Using the Policy
Add your company name and logo, check each commitment matches what your organisation does and edit any that do not, then approve and date the policy and share it with workers and anyone else who needs to see it.
Who Needs a Hazardous Substances Policy?
Organisations that use, store or create chemicals, dusts, fumes or other hazardous substances.
Included in the COSHH Toolkit
This policy is part of the COSHH Toolkit.
Works with the COSHH Register and Assessments
The substances register the policy asks for can be kept on the F-HS4 COSHH Register, the RA-HS13 COSHH Common Items risk assessment covers common items, assessments recorded on the F-HS5 COSHH Assessment Form, and the PP-6-03 Environmental Oils, Chemicals and COSHH Policy Procedure covers storage. The TT-7-06 COSHH Guidance toolbox talk briefs workers.
Document Control
The footer carries the policy number and title, information classification, version and page numbers, and the approval fields record who approved the policy and when, so it can be controlled with the rest of your management system documents and listed on a document register such as the F-IMS20 Document Register.
Related Policies
- P-71 PPE Policy - PPE
- P-80 Occupational Health Policy - occupational health
- P-87 Infection Control Policy - infection control
- P-3 Health and Safety Policy - the health and safety policy
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- P-79 Hazardous Substances Policy V2 Word, 32 KB
- P-79 Hazardous Substances Policy Word, 31 KB
