COSHH for cleaners means applying the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 to the chemicals cleaning teams use every day: identifying which products are hazardous, assessing the risks, putting controls in place, and training staff to use them safely. For cleaning managers, that boils down to a COSHH assessment for each hazardous product, accessible safety data sheets, correct dilution, suitable PPE, safe storage, training and good records. This guide walks through each step and ends with a practical COSHH checklist.
What is COSHH?
COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. In cleaning, that includes bleaches, descalers, toilet cleaners, degreasers, oven cleaners, floor strippers, disinfectants and some aerosols. It also covers hazards created during work, such as dust from sweeping or mists from spraying.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) highlights the main ways cleaning chemicals cause harm: contact with skin and eyes, breathing in vapours or sprays, and accidental swallowing. Effects range from skin irritation and dermatitis to burns from corrosive products, asthma and other breathing problems.
Lead and asbestos are covered by separate regulations, but almost everything else a cleaning team handles falls under COSHH.
Employer duties under COSHH
If you employ cleaners, whether in-house or as a contractor, you must:
- Identify the hazardous substances used or created by the work.
- Assess the risks to cleaners and anyone else affected, such as building occupants, visitors and the public.
- Prevent exposure where possible, or adequately control it.
- Make sure control measures are used and maintained.
- Provide information, instruction and training.
- Plan for accidents, spills and emergencies.
- Monitor exposure and provide health surveillance where the assessment shows it is needed.
Where a cleaning contractor works in your building, both parties have duties. The contractor must assess the products it brings on site, and the client should know what is being used and share relevant information, for example about other hazards in the building. HSE expects you to find out what hazardous substances contractors bring with them.
How to carry out a COSHH assessment for cleaning chemicals
HSE sets out a straightforward process. Applied to cleaning, it looks like this.
1. Make an inventory of products
List every cleaning product used on each site, including those kept in cupboards “just in case”. HSE recommends stopping the use of products you do not need. Fewer products means fewer assessments, less training and less risk.
2. Identify the hazards
Read the product label and the safety data sheet (SDS). Look for hazard pictograms, hazard statements and any workplace exposure limits.
3. Decide who could be harmed and how
Consider how the product is used (spraying, mopping, wiping, soaking), how often, for how long and in what space. Think about cleaners with sensitive skin or asthma, lone workers, night shifts and occupants who may walk through wet or freshly treated areas.
4. Choose controls
Work down the hierarchy: eliminate the product, substitute a less hazardous one, change the method (for example, using pre-diluted products or trigger foams instead of fine sprays), improve ventilation, use safe systems of work, and only then rely on PPE.
5. Record and share the findings
If you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings. Even if you have fewer, a written assessment is good practice and makes training easier.
6. Review
Review the assessment when products, methods, sites or staff change, when someone reports a skin or breathing problem, and after any accident or near miss. You can read HSE’s step-by-step guidance on carrying out a COSHH risk assessment.
Safety data sheets: what cleaning managers need to know
Suppliers of hazardous chemicals must provide a safety data sheet. It follows a standard structure of 16 sections, including hazard identification, first aid, handling and storage, exposure controls and PPE, and disposal.
An SDS is a source of information, not a COSHH assessment. It tells you about the product, but not how your team uses it on your sites. HSE is clear that simply handing staff safety data sheets is not enough; they need to understand the hazards and the controls. Keep current SDSs where supervisors can access them quickly, and ask suppliers for an updated version when a product formulation changes.
COSHH symbols: hazard pictograms explained
Under the GB CLP Regulation, hazardous products carry red-bordered diamond pictograms. These are what most people mean by “COSHH symbols”. Cleaners should be able to recognise all nine.
| Pictogram | What it means | Where cleaners may see it |
|---|---|---|
| Corrosion | Can cause severe skin burns, eye damage or damage to metals | Some descalers, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, strong toilet cleaners |
| Exclamation mark | Less severe health effects such as irritation, or harm to the ozone layer | Many everyday detergents and sprays |
| Health hazard | Serious longer-term health effects, such as respiratory sensitisation | Some specialist chemicals |
| Flame | Flammable | Aerosols, solvent-based cleaners, some alcohol-based sanitisers |
| Flame over circle | Oxidising: can make a fire burn more fiercely | Some bleaching and oxygen-based products |
| Gas cylinder | Gas under pressure | Compressed gas products |
| Skull and crossbones | Acute toxicity: can be fatal in small amounts | Rare in general cleaning; specialist products |
| Environment | Hazardous to aquatic life | Some disinfectants and bleaches |
| Exploding bomb | Explosive | Very unlikely in routine cleaning |
The examples are illustrative only; always check the label and SDS of the actual product.
Practical controls for COSHH cleaning
Dilution and mixing
- Follow the manufacturer’s dilution rate. Stronger is not better; it increases risk and cost.
- Add concentrate to water, never water to concentrate, as HSE advises.
- Never mix products. HSE warns that bleach mixed with acidic toilet cleaners or ammonia releases harmful gases.
- Consider dosing systems or pre-diluted products to reduce handling of concentrates.
Decanting and labelling
Keep products in their original labelled containers where possible. If you decant, use suitable, clean containers clearly labelled with the contents and hazards. Never use food or drink bottles.
Personal protective equipment
Provide PPE identified by the assessment, typically suitable gloves and eye protection where there is a splash risk or when cleaning at or above eye level. HSE advises avoiding latex gloves because they can cause allergic reactions. Train staff to check gloves for holes or thin patches and replace them promptly.
Skin care
Dermatitis is a common problem in cleaning. Encourage staff to wash off splashes immediately, dry their hands thoroughly, use moisturiser and report any redness, itching or cracking early. Where the risk assessment shows a risk of dermatitis, put regular skin checks in place.
Storage
Store chemicals in a secure, ventilated area away from heat, sunlight, food and members of the public. Keep incompatible products apart as instructed on the SDS, and keep lids on.
Spills and first aid
Have a written spill procedure and kit, and make sure eyewash is available. HSE suggests at least a litre of sterile water or saline where mains water is not readily available.
COSHH training for cleaners
COSHH training for cleaners should cover the hazards of the products they use, how to read labels and pictograms, correct dilution, the ban on mixing, PPE use and checks, storage, spill response, first aid and how to report symptoms. HSE also recommends supervising new starters and considering staff whose first language is not English, for example by using pictures, posters and demonstrations.
Refresh training when products change and at regular intervals, and keep signed records. Good training is part of a wider safety culture, which we discuss in building a compliance culture.
Record keeping
Keep a COSHH file for each site containing the product inventory, assessments, safety data sheets, training records, PPE issue records, any health surveillance and review dates. Clients increasingly ask to see this during audits and tenders, so a tidy file also helps commercially. COSHH sits alongside other recurring checks in our office building compliance calendar.
COSHH checklist for cleaning managers
| Check | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| Up-to-date inventory of all cleaning products on each site | |
| Unnecessary or duplicate products removed | |
| Current safety data sheet held for every hazardous product | |
| COSHH assessment completed and recorded for each hazardous product or task | |
| Safer alternatives considered and recorded | |
| Dilution instructions displayed or dosing systems in use | |
| Decanted containers suitable and correctly labelled | |
| Correct PPE provided, checked and replaced | |
| Secure, ventilated storage with incompatible products separated | |
| Spill kit, eyewash and first aid arrangements in place | |
| Staff trained, with signed records | |
| Skin and breathing problems reported and acted upon | |
| Assessments reviewed after changes or incidents |
This guide is general information; for complex sites or specialist chemicals, take advice from a competent health and safety professional.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do cleaners need COSHH training?
Yes. Employers must give staff enough information, instruction and training to work safely with hazardous substances. For cleaners, that means training on the specific products they use.
Is a safety data sheet the same as a COSHH assessment?
No. The SDS describes the product’s hazards. The COSHH assessment looks at how your staff use it, who could be harmed and which controls you need.
What are the COSHH symbols?
They are the nine GB CLP hazard pictograms, red-bordered diamonds showing hazards such as corrosive, flammable, toxic and harmful to the environment.
Do I need a written COSHH assessment?
If you employ five or more people, you must record the significant findings. Writing it down is good practice for smaller employers too.
Can cleaners mix cleaning products?
No. Mixing products such as bleach and acidic toilet cleaners can release harmful gases. Use one product at a time and rinse between them if needed.
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