The objectives of the Echo3 COSHH course are to equip learners with the essential knowledge to:

1. Understand legal responsibilities under COSHH regulations
2. Recognise hazardous substances and interpret their labels
3. Understand the purpose and importance of safety data sheets
4. Recognise the value of reading product labels carefully
5. Appreciate the role of personal protective equipment (PPE)
6. Learn how to store hazardous substances safely
7. Know how to dispose of substances correctly and safely
8. Respond appropriately to spills or emergency situations

Ill health from hazardous substances is preventable by staff adopting the best-practice detailed this course.  Some specific hazardous substances such as Asbestos, Mercury, Benzene and Nitrogen have their own courses.

Who is the Echo3 COSHH Course For?
The Echo3 COSHH course is designed for anyone managing or supervising staff in environments where hazardous substances are present.

Managers and supervisors play a key role in ensuring compliance with safety regulations and protecting employees from exposure to harmful substances. COSHH training is essential to help them meet these responsibilities.

This COSHH course is suitable for all industries. However, if you work in construction, we offer a dedicated COSHH for Construction course, which also covers sector-specific risks such as concrete, asbestos, and lead.

All staff working with hazardous substances should receive appropriate training. For workplaces that involve particularly dangerous substances, employers must provide specific training. Echo3 offers specialised courses on substances such as Asbestos, Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S), Benzene, and Nitrogen.

Examples of roles where COSHH likely applies include:

• Cleaning – exposure to chemicals that can cause burns or skin conditions
• Construction – regular use of hazardous building materials
• Bakeries – flour and dust may cause respiratory or skin issues
• Garages – exposure to solvents, oils, exhaust fumes, and greases
• Healthcare – risk of infection from biological agents
• Laboratories – handling of chemicals and flammable substances
• Warehouses – management of a wide range of hazardous materials

• chemicals
• products containing chemicals
• fumes
• dusts
• vapours
• mists
• nanotechnology
• gases and asphyxiating gases and
• biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance.
• Germs
• Any substance with a WEL or Workplace Exposure Limit

Asbestos, lead and radioactive substances are all hazardous substances under COSHH.  Because the hazards are so high they have their own specific regulations outlining what employers must do.

The 9 ‘hazards warning symbols’ or ‘hazard pictograms’ from the Global Harmonised System (GHS) are details below.  These symbols are used on packaging across Europe to identify the hazard of a particular substance.  Multiple hazard warning symbols are used when a substance has multiple hazardous properties.

In short, COSHH regulations require that employers reduce the risk to staff from hazardous substances to as low as reasonably practicable.

In practice this means first undertaking a COSHH assessment.  Walking round your business and noting which harmful substances are or could at time be present.  Then consider what activities expose your staff to these substances and finally then what can be done to reduce the risk that someone might be harmed.  All the steps you take should be documented.

One helpful step when substances cannot be eliminated from the workplace is to provide Hazardous Substances training to staff so they are aware of the risks and can therefore better avoid them.

Every year, thousands of workers suffer illness due to exposure to hazardous substances—developing conditions such as asthma, cancer, and dermatitis. You may already be aware of hazardous substances used in your workplace, or those created during work processes, such as welding fumes or quarry dust.

While the hazard posed by a substance remains constant, the risk it presents can vary depending on how it’s used or managed. For example, storing a flammable substance away from an ignition source significantly reduces the risk of explosion.

Under COSHH regulations, employers are required to regularly assess and adequately control these risks to protect workers’ health.

This online COSHH course supports that goal by equipping learners with the knowledge needed to identify hazardous substances, understand the dangers they pose, and apply safe working practices to minimise risk.