A Guide to COSHH Compliance for Irish Businesses

If your business stores or uses hazardous substances — from industrial cleaning chemicals to workshop solvents — COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) compliance isn't optional.

What COSHH actually requires. At its core, COSHH requires you to assess the risk of any hazardous substance used on site, control exposure, and keep records. This applies to businesses of every size, not just large industrial operations.

Safety Data Sheets are your starting point. Every hazardous chemical product should come with an SDS detailing its hazards, safe handling instructions, and emergency procedures. Before purchasing any chemical product, confirm an up-to-date SDS is available — we provide these for every applicable product we supply.

Storage matters as much as usage. Incompatible chemicals stored together, poor ventilation, or unclear labelling are common compliance gaps. A proper COSHH assessment covers storage conditions, not just how a product is used day-to-day.

Training and records. Staff handling hazardous substances should be trained on the specific risks involved, and businesses should keep records of COSHH assessments — these are exactly what an inspection will ask to see.

A note for Irish businesses specifically: the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) oversees COSHH-equivalent regulations in Ireland, and non-compliance carries real liability risk, not just a paperwork issue.

Every applicable product in our Cleaning Chemicals range comes with SDS documentation available on request — reach out via our Trade Accounts page if you need help auditing your current supply.