COSHH guide
COSHH risk assessment for cleaning products
Cleaning products are the most common COSHH substances in small businesses: bleach, toilet and descaling cleaners, degreasers, sanitiser sprays and dishwasher chemicals. Many are corrosive or irritant, and some react dangerously with each other.
The main risks with cleaning chemicals
- Skin burns and dermatitis from corrosive or irritant products, and from frequent wet work
- Serious eye damage from splashes, especially when decanting or diluting
- Breathing in spray mist in small rooms such as toilets and kitchens
- Toxic chlorine gas if bleach is mixed with acid-based cleaners or ammonia
- Harm to the public or children if products are left out or decanted into unlabelled bottles
Typical controls
- Choose the least hazardous product that does the job; use ready-to-use or closed dilution systems
- Apply to a cloth rather than spraying where possible, and ventilate the room
- Chemical-resistant gloves (EN ISO 374) and eye protection (EN 166) when the product needs them
- Never mix products; keep them in original, labelled containers and store them securely
- Train staff, keep the Safety Data Sheets to hand, and check skin regularly where there's frequent wet work
Do one for each product and task
You need an assessment for each hazardous product, and it should reflect how that product is used. The same bleach used for wiping toilets and for soaking mop heads may need different controls. EasyCOSHH lets you do one per product in a few minutes, and the credit option brings the cost down to 99p each for a cupboard full of products.
Lots of products? Save time
- Bulk SDS upload: upload all your cleaning product SDSs at once and get a draft assessment for each
- Duplicate: same cleaning task, different product? Copy the assessment and swap the product
- Print a QR code label for the cleaning cupboard so staff can scan and read the assessments
Questions
Do I need a COSHH assessment for washing-up liquid?
Products that aren't classified as hazardous usually don't need a detailed assessment, but frequent wet work can still cause dermatitis. If the label has no hazard pictograms, a short note in your general risk assessment is often enough.
Can I use one assessment for all my cleaning products?
Only if they have the same hazards and are used in the same way. In practice most businesses do one per product, then group them in a COSHH file.
Important
EasyCOSHH is a tool, not professional advice. You must check each assessment against the supplier's Safety Data Sheet and your actual work, adapt it and sign it off. For high-risk substances (carcinogens, asbestos, lead, respiratory sensitisers such as isocyanates) use a competent person. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by HSE.