Hazardous substances are more common in an early years setting than many people realise. They sit in the cleaning cupboard, the kitchen, the craft trolley, the nappy change area and the outdoor store. This COSHH training for childcare staff explains what the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations ask of your setting, how to spot a hazardous product, and how to store, use and protect yourself from it every day.
It shows where the risks are in a nursery, what the symbols on a label mean, and the simple habits that keep staff and children safe.
Why COSHH training matters
Hazardous substances can harm anyone in the building, not only the people who handle them, which is why COSHH is a whole team matter. A product can get into the body in four ways: breathed in as fumes, sprays or dust, swallowed through hand-to-mouth contact, absorbed through the skin, or splashed into the eyes. Some everyday cleaning products are dangerous together. Bleach mixed with a cleaner containing ammonia produces a toxic gas called chloramine, and bleach mixed with vinegar produces chlorine gas.
COSHH is the law that requires employers to prevent, reduce or at the very least control exposure to hazardous substances. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, employers must identify the harmful substances present, decide how people might be exposed, check whether existing measures are enough, and provide information, instruction and training. Employers with five or more staff must record their assessment, and it is good practice for everyone to do so.
What’s in the course
- What COSHH isThe regulations, what they require of employers and why they apply to a nursery.
- COSHH risk assessmentThe four steps, when an assessment must be written down, and keeping it under review.
- Hazardous substances in the settingWhere they are found, from the cleaning cupboard to the craft trolley, and the forms they come in.
- Hazard symbols and safety data sheetsWhat the red diamond pictograms mean and what a safety data sheet tells you.
- How substances get into the bodyBreathing in, swallowing, the skin and the eyes, and how to close each route.
- Cleaning products and cooking fumesThe range of cleaning products in use and why kitchens need proper ventilation.
- Chemical harm and safe storageWhy you never mix products, and how to store chemicals safely.
- Protecting your skinThe avoid, protect and check approach for hands that are washed and in contact with cleaning products all day.
- Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- The four things COSHH asks employers to do, from identifying harmful substances to providing information, instruction and training
- That employers with five or more staff must record their COSHH assessment, and that it should be reviewed to keep up with changes in the setting
- Where hazardous substances are found in a nursery, including sanitisers, oven cleaner, powder paint dust, glues, glitter, disinfectants and garden products
- How to store them: locked away and out of reach of children, in their original labelled containers, and never decanted into drinks bottles
- What the red diamond symbols mean, including corrosive, acute toxicity, harmful or irritant, flammable and serious health hazard
- What a safety data sheet covers, and to ask before using a product if you cannot find its sheet
- Why you should never mix cleaning products when you are not sure how they will react
- How to look after your skin: use the gloves provided, avoid direct contact, wash and dry your hands, and report skin damage
Who this course is for
- Practitioners in every room who clean, sanitise and prepare craft activities
- Staff who change nappies and deal with clinical waste
- Cooks and kitchen staff working with cleaning chemicals and cooking fumes
- Managers who carry out and review the setting’s COSHH assessments
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- Interactive moduleShort slides and knowledge checks you work through at your own pace.
- 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
Because exposure is not limited to the people who handle substances directly, COSHH works best when everyone in the setting is trained. The lesson includes a substance inventory template and a per-product COSHH assessment and action plan, so managers can put the learning straight into practice. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. Related courses: Infection Prevention and Control in Early Years and Health & Safety and Risk Assessment in Early Years.
Frequently asked questions
What does COSHH stand for?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. It is the law that requires employers to prevent, reduce or at the very least control exposure to hazardous substances, to prevent ill health.
Do we have to write down our COSHH assessment?
Employers with five or more staff must record their assessment. It is sensible and good practice for everyone to do so, and to review it regularly so it keeps up with changes in the setting.
What is a safety data sheet?
A sheet from the supplier describing a product’s hazards, how to handle and store it, and what to do after exposure or an accident. Keep them where staff can find them, and if you cannot find the sheet for a product you are asked to use, ask before you use it.
Does COSHH only cover cleaning chemicals?
No. Hazardous substances also include dusts such as powder paint, fumes and vapours from cooking, gases, fibres and biological agents.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
Is it safe to mix cleaning products for a stronger clean?
No. Some products react when combined and give off gases that can cause inflammation, breathing problems or worse. Bleach and vinegar, for example, produce chlorine gas. Never mix products unless you are sure how they will react.
