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COSHH and engineering workers - key messages

Substances hazardous to health in engineering include:

  • dusts from mechanical cutting, shaping and abrasive blasting;
  • gases and fumes from welding, soldering, and cutting;
  • mists and germs in metalworking fluids;
  • lubricants, adhesives, paints, degreasing and stripping fluids;
  • plating and pickling fluids, and molten salt baths;
  • fluid treatment products.

Control measures include:

  • dust, fume or vapour extraction;
  • respirators;
  • fluid maintenance;
  • skin checks.

You may need to use health surveillance[61] (Check employees health for any adverse effects related to work. May involve checking skin for dermatitis or asking questions about breathing and may need to done by a doctor or nurse.)

Example: metalworking fluids (MWF)

MWF can cause dermatitis or other skin diseases.

Mists from poorly managed water-mix MWF can cause occupational asthma.

Help with identifying the right control is on the Metalworking web site[62]. Control information for MWF appears in the following information sheets[63] available.

Visit the metalworking eCOSHH[70] web pages for more information and the HSE homepage[71] for other engineering activities.

Employees

Your employer provides equipment to protect your health, such as:

  • extraction of dust, fumes or mist;
  • control of bacteria and fines in cutting fluids;
  • personal protective equipment.

You have a duty to use these properly and co-operate with any monitoring and health surveillance.

Link URLs in this page

  1. COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/index.htm
  2. COSHH overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/index.htm
  3. What is a ‘substance hazardous to health’?https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/substance.htm
  4. I’m self-employed. Does this apply to me?https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/selfemployed.htm
  5. What you need to dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/whatdo.htm
  6. COSHH assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/assessment.htm
  7. Substitutionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/substitution.htm
  8. Exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/exposurelimits.htm
  9. Chemical safety data sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/datasheets.htm
  10. Control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/control.htm
  11. Permits to workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/permits.htm
  12. Personal protective equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/ppe.htm
  13. Monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/monitoring.htm
  14. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/surveillance.htm
  15. Training for employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/training.htm
  16. Emergencieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/emergencies.htm
  17. Detailed overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/index.htm
  18. COSHH, CLP and REACHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/coshh-clp-reach.htm
  19. REACH and COSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/reach.htm
  20. Principles of good practicehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/detail/goodpractice.htm
  21. Overview - Your industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/index.htm
  22. Agriculturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/agriculture.htm
  23. Bakinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/baking.htm
  24. Beautyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/beauty.htm
  25. Cateringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/catering.htm
  26. Cleaninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/cleaning.htm
  27. Engineeringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/engineering.htm
  28. Fumigationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/fumigation.htm
  29. Hairdressinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/hairdressing.htm
  30. Offshore oil and gashttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/offshore.htm
  31. Printinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/printing.htm
  32. Motor vehicle repairhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/mvr.htm
  33. Weldinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/welding.htm
  34. Woodworkinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/industry/woodworking.htm
  35. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/faq.htm
  36. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/resources.htm
  37. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/index.htm
  38. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/index.htm
  39. Soldererhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/solder.htm
  40. Bakerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/baker.htm
  41. Cookhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/cook.htm
  42. Weldershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/welder.htm
  43. Isocyanateshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/isocyanates.htm
  44. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/dermatitis.htm
  45. Overview - Example risk assessmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/index.htm
  46. Officehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/office.htm
  47. DIY shop https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/diyshop.htm
  48. Workshop https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/workshop.htm
  49. Engineer https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/engineer.htm
  50. Sandwich makerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/sandwichmaker.htm
  51. Garden centrehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/gardencentre.htm
  52. Paving companyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/paving.htm
  53. Feed mill https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/feedmill.htm
  54. Die caster https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/diecaster.htm
  55. Electronicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/electronics.htm
  56. Fruit farmhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/fruitfarm.htm
  57. Warehousehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/warehouse.htm
  58. Further informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/furtherinfo.htm
  59. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/publications.htm
  60. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/research-reports.htm
  61. health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/surveillance.htm
  62. Metalworking web sitehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/metalworking/index.htm
  63. information sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/direct-advice/index.htm
  64. Advice for managers (MW0)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw0.pdf
  65. CNC machining (MW1)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw1.pdf
  66. Control of skin risks during machining (MW2)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw2.pdf
  67. Sump cleaning: water-mix fluids (MW3https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw3.pdf
  68. Sump cleaning: neat oils (MW4)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw4.pdf
  69. Managing fluid quality (MW5)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/mw5.pdf
  70. metalworking eCOSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/metalworking/ecoshh.htm
  71. HSE homepagehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm
  72. EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/eh40.htm
  73. Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHH https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.htm
  74. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/index.htm
  75. Case studies Examples of real life situations with COSHH https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/casestudies/index.htm
  76. Example risk assessments Use these to get ideas for completing assessments https://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/riskassess/index.htm
  77. Health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/basics/surveillance.htm
  78. Metalworking web sitehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/metalworking/index.htm
  79. Metalworking eCOSHHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/metalworking/ecoshh.htm
  80. Engineering microsite https://www.hse.gov.uk/engineering/index.htm
  81. COSHH Essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/COSHH/essentials/index.htm
  82. Nanotechnologyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/nanotechnology/index.htm
  83. Risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm

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2025-02-25