COSHH in Hospitality: The Quick Guide

Last updated: May 2026

Every kitchen in the UK uses chemicals. Oven cleaners, sanitising sprays, descalers, glass wash detergent, pest control products. They keep your venue safe and hygienic. But without proper controls, those same chemicals can harm your team.

That is where COSHH comes in.

If you have ever wondered what COSHH means, whether your venue is compliant, or what an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) expects to see, this guide covers everything you need to know.

What Is COSHH?

COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. It is a set of regulations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

In plain English? It is a legal requirement to protect your staff from dangerous substances in the workplace.

COSHH applies to every business that uses or stores hazardous substances. In hospitality, that means almost everyone. From a coffee shop with a bottle of bleach under the counter to a hotel kitchen with an entire chemical store cupboard.

What Substances Does COSHH Cover?

COSHH covers more than you might think. Here is what falls under the regulations in a typical hospitality setting:

• Cleaning chemicals - oven cleaners, degreasers, floor cleaners, bleach, toilet cleaners
• Sanitisers and disinfectants - food-safe surface sanitisers, hand sanitisers, antibacterial sprays
• Pest control products - insecticides, rodenticides, fly sprays
• Dishwasher and glasswasher chemicals - detergents, rinse aids, descalers
• Allergens and biological agents - flour dust, certain food proteins that can cause occupational asthma
• Fumes and gases - carbon dioxide from carbonation systems, fumes from deep fat fryers

If a substance has a safety data sheet (SDS), it almost certainly falls under COSHH.

Why COSHH Matters in Hospitality

Hospitality has one of the highest rates of chemical-related workplace injuries. Staff turnover is high, training is often rushed, and chemicals get used by people who have never read the label.

Here is what can go wrong without proper COSHH controls:

• Chemical burns from concentrated oven cleaner
• Respiratory issues from mixing incompatible products
• Skin irritation from prolonged contact with sanitising solutions
• Eye injuries from splashback
• Allergic reactions to certain cleaning agents

Beyond the human cost, non-compliance can lead to enforcement action, fines, and a poor EHO inspection score. COSHH failings often fall under the "confidence in management" scoring category, which can drag your entire rating down.

The 8-Step COSHH Assessment Process

A COSHH assessment is not a one-off document you file away and forget. It is a living process. Here are the eight steps the HSE expects you to follow:

Step 1: Identify the hazardous substances

Walk through your venue and list every chemical product in use. Check under sinks, in store cupboards, behind the bar, in housekeeping trolleys. If it has a hazard symbol on the label, it needs to be on your list.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

Think about every person who could come into contact with each substance. Kitchen porters, cleaners, bar staff, delivery drivers, even customers if a spillage occurs. Note the type of harm: skin contact, inhalation, ingestion, eye contact.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks

How likely is exposure? What is the severity? A diluted surface sanitiser poses a lower risk than concentrated drain unblocker. Check the safety data sheet for each product to understand the hazard level.

Step 4: Record your findings

Document everything. For each substance, record what it is, where it is stored, who uses it, the risks involved, and the controls in place. If you employ five or more people, written records are a legal requirement.

Step 5: Put control measures in place

Controls include:

• Substituting a hazardous substance with a safer alternative
• Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and goggles
• Ensuring adequate ventilation
• Storing chemicals in locked, labelled cupboards away from food
• Using dilution systems to prevent contact with concentrates

Step 6: Provide training and information

Every team member who handles chemicals needs to know what they are using, how to use it safely, and what to do if something goes wrong. Training should happen at induction and be refreshed regularly.

Step 7: Monitor exposure and health

For high-risk substances, you may need to monitor staff health. In most hospitality settings, this means keeping an eye out for skin complaints, breathing difficulties, or other symptoms linked to chemical exposure.

Step 8: Review your assessment regularly

Your COSHH assessment needs updating whenever you introduce a new product, change suppliers, alter processes, or after an incident. At a minimum, review annually.

What EHOs Check Regarding COSHH

During an EHO inspection, officers will look at several COSHH-related areas:

• Chemical storage - Are chemicals stored separately from food? Are they in a locked or designated area? Are containers labelled correctly?
• Safety data sheets - Are SDS available for every product on site? Can staff access them?
• COSHH assessments - Do you have written assessments? Are they up to date? Do they reflect the actual products being used?
• PPE provision - Are gloves, aprons, and eye protection available where needed?
• Staff knowledge - Can your team explain safe handling procedures? Do they know what to do in an emergency?
• Dilution procedures - Are chemicals being diluted correctly? Are there colour-coded systems in place?

Failing on COSHH can directly affect your food hygiene rating. It signals poor management, which is one of the hardest categories to score well on.

Common COSHH Mistakes in Hospitality

These are the errors we see most often across venues:

• Decanting chemicals into unmarked containers - Pouring bleach into an old water bottle is an accident waiting to happen. Every container must be labelled.
• Missing or outdated safety data sheets - If you switch supplier and the new product has a different formulation, the old SDS is worthless.
• No formal training records - You might train people verbally, but without a record, you cannot prove it happened.
• Storing chemicals above food - Gravity exists. Chemical containers above food items risk contamination from leaks or spills.
• Using products past their expiry - Expired chemicals may not work as intended and can become more hazardous.

Going Digital with COSHH Compliance

Paper-based COSHH records are a headache for multi-site operators. Files go missing, assessments do not get updated, and there is no easy way to check compliance across locations.

With Aquaint, you can store all your COSHH documentation digitally, accessible from any device. Upload safety data sheets to the document management system so staff can access them on the floor. Set up COSHH checklists that prompt team members to check chemical storage, PPE availability, and dilution procedures as part of their daily routines.

Every completed check is timestamped and tied to a specific user, so when an EHO asks to see your records, you can pull them up in seconds rather than rummaging through a filing cabinet. For venues managing compliance across multiple sites, this means consistent standards without constant site visits.

If you are still using paper-based compliance, COSHH is a good place to start the switch. The records are straightforward, the benefits are immediate, and your EHO will notice.

COSHH and Your Wider Compliance Picture

COSHH does not exist in isolation. It sits alongside your HACCP plan, temperature monitoring, allergen management, and RIDDOR reporting obligations. A chemical incident that injures a team member may trigger both COSHH and RIDDOR requirements simultaneously.

The venues that score highest on EHO inspections tend to manage all of these areas through one system rather than juggling separate folders, spreadsheets, and WhatsApp groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a COSHH assessment if I only use household cleaning products?

Yes. Any substance that could cause harm needs a COSHH assessment, including common household products like bleach. The key question is whether the substance could affect someone's health. In a commercial kitchen or bar, even everyday products are used more frequently and in larger quantities than at home, which increases the risk.

How often should COSHH assessments be reviewed?

At a minimum, review your COSHH assessments annually. You should also update them whenever you introduce a new product, change suppliers, alter your processes, or after any chemical-related incident. If your assessment is more than 12 months old and nothing has changed, a quick review confirming it is still accurate is sufficient.

Can I be fined for COSHH non-compliance?

Yes. The HSE can issue improvement notices, prohibition notices, or prosecute for serious breaches. Fines for health and safety offences in the UK can reach unlimited amounts for the most serious cases. More commonly, poor COSHH practices will lower your EHO inspection score, which is publicly visible on the Food Standards Agency website.

What is the difference between a safety data sheet and a COSHH assessment?

A safety data sheet (SDS) is provided by the chemical manufacturer or supplier. It details the product's hazards, composition, handling precautions, and emergency procedures. A COSHH assessment is your document. It evaluates how that specific product is used in your venue, who is at risk, and what controls you have in place. You need both.

Do temporary or agency staff need COSHH training?

Yes. Every person who handles or could be exposed to hazardous substances in your venue needs appropriate COSHH training, regardless of their employment status. This includes temporary staff, agency workers, and volunteers. Keep a record of all training delivered.