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What the COSHH Regulations require
Regulation 12 of the COSHH Regulations 2002 says every employer whose work is liable to expose an employee to a substance hazardous to health must give that employee suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. Anyone who carries out COSHH work for you, such as an assessment, needs it too, whether or not they are your employee.
The law doesn't set a refresher period. It says training must be adapted when the type of work or the methods used change significantly, and must suit the level, type and duration of exposure your COSHH assessment found.
Hazardous substances include chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases and germs that cause disease. Lead, asbestos and radioactive substances have their own regulations.
Who usually needs COSHH training
HSE says to train employees who work with substances hazardous to health, including cleaning and maintenance staff. Contractors on your site need to know the risks and how you are controlling them. Your COSHH assessment decides who needs training in your organisation; the table shows where HSE's guidance points in common sectors.
Cleaning
Substances HSE's guidance names
Cleaning products, some of them corrosive, and wet work that can cause dermatitis
Who usually needs training
Cleaners, housekeeping staff and caretakers
Care and health
Substances HSE's guidance names
Chemicals, wet work and latex, which can cause contact dermatitis
Who usually needs training
Care staff, nurses, housekeeping and laundry teams
Hospitality and catering
Substances HSE's guidance names
Cleaning products, foods that can cause skin allergies or asthma, and cooking fumes
Who usually needs training
Kitchen staff, kitchen porters and housekeeping
Construction
Substances HSE's guidance names
Construction dust such as silica, solvents, isocyanates and cement
Who usually needs training
Site operatives, trades and supervisors
Manufacturing and engineering
Substances HSE's guidance names
Metalworking fluids, welding fume, dusts, lubricants, adhesives, paints and degreasers
Who usually needs training
Machine operators, welders and maintenance staff
Gyms, leisure centres and spas with pools
Substances HSE's guidance names
Pool water treatment chemicals such as sodium and calcium hypochlorite, acids and bromine
Who usually needs training
Pool plant operators, cleaning and maintenance staff
What COSHH training should cover
Regulation 12 lists what the information, instruction and training must include, and HSE's training guidance adds what employees should be told. In practice, that means:
- The substances each person could be exposed to, the harm they can cause and any workplace exposure limit
- Where to find the safety data sheets
- The significant findings of your COSHH assessment
- The precautions and controls to use, such as extraction, gloves, eye protection or respirators
- What to do in an accident, such as a spillage, or an emergency
- The results of any exposure monitoring, and the general results of health surveillance
- Planned changes to the processes or substances you use
How often is COSHH training required?
There is no fixed interval in the COSHH Regulations. Train people before they start work that could expose them, and again when the work, the methods or the substances change. Between those points, set a refresher interval yourself, based on your COSHH assessment, and record it so the due date is visible.
Before someone starts work that could expose them
Regulation 12(1): employees liable to be exposed must have suitable and sufficient training
When the work, methods or substances change significantly
Regulation 12(3)(a): training must be adapted to significant changes. HSE also says to tell staff about planned changes.
When your COSHH assessment's findings change
Regulation 12(2)(b): training must include the significant findings of the assessment
At the refresher interval you set
Your own policy. The law doesn't set one, so record the interval and the next due date.
What to record for COSHH training
HSE's advice is to keep basic training records. A useful record shows who was trained, when, by whom, on which substances and tasks, and when the training is next due.
Here is a fictional COSHH row in the free staff training record template, using the template's own columns. The substances covered go in Notes, and the signed attendance sheet is the evidence.
- Staff member
- Megan Price
- Role
- Housekeeping assistant
- Team/
site - Housekeeping, Riverside House
- Requirement
- COSHH: cleaning and laundry chemicals
- Completion date
- 6 October 2026
- Renewal/
review date - 6 October 2027, a yearly interval the home chose
- Trainer/
provider - Claire Foster, Head of Housekeeping
- Evidence status
- Attached
- Evidence reference/
link - Signed attendance sheet, 6 October 2026
- Notes
- Products covered: chlorine-based disinfectant, laundry detergent and oven cleaner. Safety data sheets and spill kit shown.
How SkillProof helps
Set COSHH training as a requirement for the roles that need it, and record each completion with the date, trainer and attachments. Training records and role-based requirements are on every plan.
From Growth, run a COSHH briefing as a Session and record who attended against the same record.
Starter shows basic due dates and sends standard automated training due and overdue email reminders. Growth adds configurable reminder schedules, recipients and templates.
SkillProof doesn't provide COSHH training or write COSHH assessments. It keeps the record of who was trained, when and on what.
Official guidance used for this guide
Checked
COSHH law and HSE guidance used for this article. Always check HSE's current guidance and your own COSHH assessment.
- The COSHH Regulations 2002, regulation 12
- HSE: Training for employees working with substances hazardous to health
- HSE: What is a substance hazardous to health?
- HSE: COSHH and cleaners
- HSE: COSHH and the catering industry
- HSE: Dermatitis in health and social care
- HSE: Construction hazardous substances
- HSE: COSHH and engineering workers
- HSE: Health and safety in swimming pools (HSG179)
Questions this guide answers
What does COSHH stand for?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. The COSHH Regulations 2002 set out what employers must do to control exposure to hazardous substances at work, including information, instruction and training.
Is COSHH training a legal requirement?
Yes, for anyone liable to be exposed. Regulation 12 requires suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training. The law doesn't name a course or certificate; the training has to suit the substances and the work.
How often should COSHH training be refreshed?
The COSHH Regulations don't set a period. Retrain when the work, methods or substances change significantly, and set your own refresher interval based on your COSHH assessment.
Do cleaners need COSHH training?
HSE says training includes cleaning and maintenance staff who work with substances hazardous to health. Cleaning products can irritate or burn the skin, and some cause allergies or asthma.
What records should we keep for COSHH training?
HSE advises keeping basic training records. Record the date, the trainer, the substances and tasks covered, who attended and the next due date.
Does SkillProof provide COSHH training?
No. SkillProof doesn't provide training or write COSHH assessments. It records who needs COSHH training, who has completed it and when it is next due, and sends reminders.