Getting the relationship between a safety data sheet and a COSHH assessment right is not pedantry. Treating the SDS as if it were the assessment is a real and common mistake, and it leaves a gap exactly where the workplace-specific judgement should be. This article is practical guidance, not legal advice.
An SDS is not a COSHH assessment
HSE is clear on this: a safety data sheet is a source of information that helps you carry out a COSHH assessment, not the assessment itself. The SDS describes the substance. The assessment describes what happens when that substance is used in your workplace, and decides what control is needed. One is an input; the other is the output that keeps people safe. See HSE's COSHH guidance for the authoritative position.
What the SDS gives you, and what it does not
- Gives you hazard information about the substance or mixture: classification, hazard statements, physical and health hazard data, and handling and control guidance in the abstract.
- Does not give you the assessment. It does not know how the substance is used in your workplace, at what scale, with what exposure, by whom, or alongside what else. Those are the things a COSHH assessment exists to consider.
The gap between those two is the assessment, and it is exactly the part that needs a person who knows your workplace. No document from your supplier can close it for you.
Where the manual work is
The repetitive, automatable work sits around the assessment, not in the judgement itself:
- Pulling the relevant hazard information out of the SDS for each substance in use.
- Matching that information to the actual tasks, quantities and exposure routes in your workplace.
- Keeping the assessment aligned when the SDS is revised, so a change in hazard information flows through to the assessment rather than being missed.
- Recording the assessment and its basis so it can be reviewed and evidenced.
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We take the manual work of pulling hazard information out of your safety data sheets and keeping it aligned when they change. The assessment stays with your competent person. A short call, no pitch.
Book a technical callMaking the SDS-to-COSHH step less painful
The step gets easier when the safety data sheets you rely on are current and in one place, and when a revision to an SDS automatically flags the assessments that depend on it. That is the same source-of-truth idea behind safety data sheet version control: keep the input trustworthy and connected, and the assessment that sits on top of it stops drifting quietly out of date.
Frequently asked questions
Is a safety data sheet a COSHH assessment?
No. A safety data sheet is an input to a COSHH assessment, not a substitute for one. The SDS provides hazard information; the assessment considers how the substance is actually used in your specific workplace. HSE is explicit on this. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.
Can software do my COSHH assessment for me?
It can take the manual work out of extracting hazard information from the SDS and keeping it aligned when the SDS changes. It does not make the assessment, which requires judgement about your workplace and remains the responsibility of a competent person.
What happens when the SDS is updated?
The COSHH assessment that relied on it may need reviewing. If your process does not connect the two, a hazard change can sit in an updated SDS while the assessment carries on unchanged, which is a common and avoidable gap.
Who is responsible for the COSHH assessment?
A competent person in your organisation. Tools and suppliers can support the work, but the assessment and the decisions in it stay with you.
Sources
The COSHH duties and the role of the safety data sheet are set out by HSE. Confirm what applies to your workplace against the source. This article is practical guidance, not legal advice.