COSHH Assessments for Electricians and Plumbers: What You Actually Need

COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. The COSHH Regulations 2002 require every employer, including sole traders, to assess the risks from hazardous substances used at work and put controls in place to protect people's health.

If you're an electrician or plumber, you might think COSHH doesn't really apply to you. You're not mixing chemicals in a lab. But you'd be surprised how many substances in your daily work fall under COSHH, and how quickly an HSE inspector will ask to see your assessments.

What counts as a hazardous substance?

Under COSHH, a hazardous substance is anything that could harm your health if you breathe it in, swallow it, get it on your skin, or get it in your eyes. This includes chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, gases, and biological agents.

For electricians and plumbers, the list is longer than you'd expect.

Common COSHH substances for electricians

Solder flux and solder fumes: If you're doing any soldering (terminations, older installations, electronics) the flux releases fumes that are an irritant to the respiratory system. Lead-free solder is less toxic than traditional lead solder, but the rosin-based flux fumes still require a COSHH assessment.

Cable lubricant: Used when pulling cables through conduit. Most are petroleum or silicone-based and can cause skin irritation with prolonged contact.

PVC cement and solvent weld: If you're installing PVC trunking or conduit, the solvent cement contains chemicals like tetrahydrofuran (THF) that produce harmful vapours in enclosed spaces.

Dust from chasing walls: Cutting channels into brick, block, or concrete generates silica dust, which is a serious long-term health risk. Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can cause silicosis and lung cancer. This is one of the highest-risk COSHH hazards for electricians.

Insulation fibres: Working in lofts or cavity walls exposes you to mineral wool, glass fibre, or potentially asbestos in older properties. All require assessment.

Cleaning solvents: Contact cleaners, isopropyl alcohol, and degreasing agents used on electrical equipment.

Common COSHH substances for plumbers

Flux and solder: Plumbers use flux paste and solder for copper pipe joints. The flux typically contains zinc chloride or ammonium chloride, both of which produce irritant fumes when heated.

PTFE tape and jointing compound: Generally low risk, but some jointing compounds contain solvents that need assessing.

Pipe-cutting fluids: Cutting oils used with pipe-threading machines can cause dermatitis with repeated skin contact.

Drain chemicals: If you're clearing blockages, you may encounter caustic soda, sulphuric acid, or other aggressive drain chemicals left by homeowners. These are corrosive and require specific PPE.

Mould and biological hazards: Working in damp bathrooms, under floors, or around waste pipes exposes you to mould spores and potentially legionella bacteria. These are biological agents covered by COSHH.

Silicone sealant: Most bathroom sealants release acetic acid vapour (the vinegar smell) during curing. Low risk in ventilated areas, but worth assessing for enclosed spaces.

Lead: If you work on older properties with lead pipework, cutting, sanding, or soldering lead pipes creates lead dust and fumes. This is a serious health hazard with strict workplace exposure limits.

What does a COSHH assessment actually look like?

A COSHH assessment doesn't need to be complicated. For each substance, you need to record what it is, where you use it, who's exposed, how they're exposed (inhalation, skin contact, ingestion), what the health effects are, what control measures you're using, and what to do in an emergency such as a spill, skin contact, or inhalation.

The safety data sheet (SDS) from the manufacturer gives you most of this information. Every chemical product you buy should come with one. If it doesn't, ask for it or download it from the manufacturer's website.

Do I need a separate COSHH assessment for every job?

Not necessarily. If you regularly use the same substances in the same way, you can create a set of generic COSHH assessments for your common substances and keep them on file. Then for each specific job, you just confirm which substances from your library are relevant and add any site-specific considerations like poor ventilation or confined spaces.

The important thing is that you've assessed each substance at least once, your assessments are up to date, and anyone working with those substances has been briefed on the risks and controls.

Get started with a free COSHH template

We offer a free COSHH assessment template with no login, no trial, and no strings. It covers assessment details, a hazardous substances table, control measures, emergency procedures, monitoring and review, and sign-off. Download it as a Word doc, PDF, or HTML and start using it today. We've also got free templates for RAMS, risk assessments, method statements, and site safety plans on the same page.

If you want trade-specific COSHH templates with the common substances already listed (electrician-specific or plumber-specific with hazards, exposure routes, and control measures pre-filled) that's what YourComplianceDocs is built for. Pick your template, confirm what's relevant, add site-specific detail, and export a branded PDF in minutes. Over 250 templates across 21 UK trades.