What this is
What is a chemical risk assessment?
What is a chemical risk assessment?
An assessment of the risk to health from a substance as it is actually used: the quantity, the method, the duration and frequency, the ventilation, the routes by which exposure could occur, and who else is nearby. It concludes with the controls required and whether health surveillance or exposure monitoring is warranted.
Is a safety data sheet an assessment?
No, and treating it as one is the most common error in this area. The data sheet describes the substance's intrinsic hazards and gives general handling advice written without knowledge of your process. The assessment describes exposure arising from your use of it, which is what determines the controls.
Scope
When is a chemical risk assessment required?
This assessment covers a task involving substances. Where a specific regime applies, it takes precedence rather than being replaced by this.
Use this template when
- Any task involving a hazardous substance, assessed as the task is actually performed
- Introduction of a new substance, supplier, formulation or method
- Change in quantity, frequency, duration, location or ventilation for an existing task
- Following a reported symptom, spill, or exposure incident
- Where exposure monitoring or health surveillance results indicate controls are not adequate
Do not use it for
- The safety data sheet, which describes the substance and is an input to this assessment
- The substance register, which lists what is held on site and where
- Dermatitis and skin assessment where wet work dominates, which needs its own treatment
- Process safety management for covered highly hazardous chemicals, which is a distinct regime
- Fire and explosion assessment under DSEAR or equivalent, which addresses a different consequence
Compliance mapping
Which COSHH principles requirements does this satisfy?
Chemical control is governed by a duty to assess and control in most jurisdictions, alongside a communication regime that has just been substantially updated in the United States.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| COSHH reg.6 | Suitable and sufficient assessment of health risks from substances before work begins | Header |
| COSHH reg.7 | Prevention or adequate control, with PPE only after other measures have been applied | Controls |
| COSHH reg.9 | Maintenance, examination and test of control measures, including LEV every 14 months | Controls |
| COSHH regs 10-11 | Exposure monitoring and health surveillance where required by the assessment | Result |
| OSHA 1910.1200 | Hazard communication: labels, safety data sheets and training, updated to GHS Revision 7 in 2024 | Related records |
| OSHA 1910.1200(h) | Employee training on new label elements and SDS format following the 2024 update | Related records |
| OSHA Subpart Z | Permissible exposure limits for specific substances with their own monitoring requirements | Exposure routes |
| EU CLP and REACH | Classification, labelling and packaging, and exposure scenarios in extended safety data sheets | Related records |
What it does not cover
- The safety data sheet, which describes intrinsic hazards and is an input to this assessment rather than a substitute.
- Dermatitis and skin assessment, which addresses wet work and barrier damage that a general chemical assessment usually omits.
- Process safety management, for covered highly hazardous chemicals, which is a distinct and far more prescriptive regime.
- DSEAR or explosive atmosphere assessment, which addresses fire and explosion rather than health.
- Health surveillance, which is a clinical activity triggered by this assessment and recorded separately.
How to complete it
How to complete a chemical risk assessment, step by step
Four things separate an assessment that changes controls from one that reproduces a data sheet.
Quantity used per occasion, method of application, duration of exposure, frequency per shift, and the room and its ventilation. Those five values determine exposure, and an assessment without them cannot support a control decision or be compared against an exposure limit.
Inhalation is assessed reliably. Skin absorption, skin contact causing local damage, ingestion through hand-to-mouth transfer and eye contact are routinely thinner. Skin is the route most often underweighted and, across occupational ill health, one of the largest contributors.
Elimination, substitution with a less hazardous product, enclosure, local exhaust ventilation, then administrative measures, then PPE. Recording why each higher level was rejected is what makes the assessment defensible and is what a regulator asks about after an exposure incident.
Where exposure may approach a limit, or where a substance can cause an identifiable disease with a valid detection technique, the assessment should say so and name the trigger. Health surveillance decided informally later, or not at all, is a common gap that surfaces years after the exposure.
What auditors find
Most common chemical risk assessment findings
Chemical assessment findings concentrate on what the assessment describes rather than on missing paperwork.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment reproduces the safety data sheet without describing the task. | COSHH reg.6 | Record quantity, method, duration, frequency and ventilation; those determine exposure. |
| Skin route not assessed. | COSHH reg.6 | Assess absorption, contact and hand-to-mouth transfer; skin is systematically underweighted. |
| PPE specified without higher controls being considered and rejected. | COSHH reg.7 | Record why elimination, substitution and engineering control were not used. |
| LEV relied on with no examination and test record. | COSHH reg.9 | Examine and test at least every 14 months in Great Britain; an untested system is an assumption. |
| Assessment not updated after a supplier or formulation change. | COSHH reg.6 | Trigger review on any change to product, supplier, method or quantity. |
| Employee training not updated for the 2024 HazCom label and SDS changes. | 1910.1200(h) | Train on the new label elements and SDS format; employer deadlines run to November 2026 and May 2028. |
| Exposure monitoring or health surveillance triggers not stated. | COSHH regs 10-11 | Name the trigger in the assessment rather than deciding informally later. |
| Substances present on site with no assessment because they arrived via maintenance or contractors. | COSHH reg.6 | Control the entry route; unregistered substances arrive through non-procurement channels. |
| Assessment covers the user but not others nearby. | COSHH reg.6 | Include adjacent workers, cleaners and anyone entering afterwards. |
| Emergency and spill arrangements not addressed in the assessment. | COSHH reg.13 | Cover foreseeable accidents and incidents alongside routine use. |
Case in point
Case in point: the same product, two very different exposures
A plant used a solvent-based cleaner in two places. In the workshop it was decanted into a bottle and wiped onto components in a bay with local exhaust ventilation, perhaps twenty minutes a shift. In a plant room it was sprayed onto overhead pipework, arms raised, for around ninety minutes during a quarterly clean, in a space with no mechanical ventilation.
One assessment covered both, because it was written per product. It reproduced the data sheet hazard statements, specified nitrile gloves and safety glasses, and was reviewed annually. Both uses were recorded as adequately controlled.
The exposures were not comparable. Spraying overhead into an unventilated space produces inhalation exposure orders of magnitude higher than wiping in a ventilated bay, and the raised-arm posture puts the breathing zone directly in the aerosol. The assessment described a product; only one of the two tasks was actually controlled.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
6 sections
- Reference
- SAF-086
- Archetype
- Assessment
- Record ID
- RSK-2026-000
- Scoring
- Risk band
- Direction
- High is bad
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- COSHH principles, ISO 45001 cl.6.1.2
- Links
- Links Substance, Job; feeds KnowHealth
- Tags
- Chemical, Risk
- Sections
- 6
- Fields
- 51
- Follow up fields
- 4
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 6
Header
12 fieldsAssessment ID*
Auto sequence. Format RSK-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Substance*
Substance ID*
Format SUB-0000.
Links to FDN-006 Substance ID
Task*
Job ID*
Format JOB-000.
Links to FDN-004 Job Task ID
Assessment Trigger*
SDS Reviewed*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
The task
6 fieldsHow It Is Used*
Quantity Per Use*
Frequency Of Use*
- Rare3 pts
- Occasional2 pts
- Routine1 pt
- Continuous0 pts
Duration Per Use Minutes*
People Exposed*
Concentration Used
Diluted sanitisers behave very differently from concentrate.
Exposure routes
6 fieldsInhalation Risk*
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium2 pts
- High0 pts
Skin Contact Risk*
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium2 pts
- High0 pts
Eye Contact Risk*
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium2 pts
- High0 pts
Ingestion Risk*
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium2 pts
- High0 pts
Injection Or Puncture Risk
- None4 pts
- Low3 pts
- Medium2 pts
- High0 pts
Reaction With Other Chemicals*
Mixing acid and chlorine sanitisers releases chlorine gas. This has killed sanitation workers.
- None credible4 pts
- Possible1 pt
- Likely and hazardous0 pts
Controls
11 fieldsCan It Be Eliminated*
- Yes3 pts
- Possibly2 pts
- No1 pt
Can A Safer Product Be Substituted*
- Yes4 pts
- Being trialled3 pts
- No1 pt
Local Exhaust Ventilation*
- Effective and tested4 pts
- Present, untested2 pts
- None0 pts
General Ventilation Adequate*
- Yes3 pts
- Marginal1 pt
- No0 pts
Closed System Or Dosing Used*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Highest Control Level Applied*
- Eliminate4 pts
- Substitute4 pts
- Engineer3 pts
- Separate or isolate3 pts
- Administrative1 pt
- PPE0 pts
PPE Required*
Emergency Provision Adequate*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Health Surveillance Required*
Exposure Monitoring Required*
Exposure Assessment ID
Links to HLT-006 Assessment ID
Related records
1 fieldSDS Review ID
The data sheet the assessment was built from.
Links to SAF-085 Review ID
Result
15 fieldsInherent Band*
- Low, 1 to 45 pts
- Medium, 5 to 94 pts
- High, 10 to 142 pts
- Very high, 15 to 191 pt
- Extreme, 20 to 250 pts
Current Band*
- Low, 1 to 45 pts
- Medium, 5 to 94 pts
- High, 10 to 142 pts
- Very high, 15 to 191 pt
- Extreme, 20 to 250 pts
Residual Band*
- Low, 1 to 45 pts
- Medium, 5 to 94 pts
- High, 10 to 142 pts
- Very high, 15 to 191 pt
- Extreme, 20 to 250 pts
Acceptance Authority*
- Supervisor3 pts
- Site lead2 pts
- Executive plus ALARP1 pt
Accepted By*
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Review Frequency*
- Quarterly3 pts
- Annually3 pts
- Every 2 years1 pt
- None set0 pts
Next Review Due*
Assessor*
Signature*
Worker Representative*
Second Signature*
SAF-086 · record IDs look like RSK-2026-000 · Links Substance, Job; feeds KnowHealth
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The assessment is short once the task is described. What fails is the substance that arrived through maintenance and the assessment written per product rather than per task.
Holds assessments against tasks rather than substances, and links each to the data sheet, the controls specified and the people who perform it.
Watches supplier and specification changes for formulation differences, and raises reassessment rather than waiting for the annual review.
Carries exposure monitoring and health surveillance triggers from the assessment into scheduled activity, including skin surveillance where wet work applies.
Schedules LEV examination and test against the systems the assessment relies on, since an untested extraction system is an assumption rather than a control.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Glossary
Chemical Risk Assessment definitions and key terms
- Exposure route
- How a substance reaches the body: inhalation, skin absorption or contact, ingestion, eye contact and injection.
- Local exhaust ventilation
- Engineering control capturing contaminant at source, requiring examination and test at least every 14 months in Great Britain.
- Permissible exposure limit
- The OSHA airborne concentration limit for a substance, typically as an eight-hour time-weighted average.
- Workplace exposure limit
- The equivalent limit in Great Britain, published in EH40 and used to judge adequacy of control.
- GHS
- The UN Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling. OSHA's HazCom aligned with Revision 3 in 2012 and Revision 7 in 2024.
- Sensitiser
- A substance that can cause an allergic response, after which very small exposures provoke a reaction that is not reversible.
- Extended safety data sheet
- An SDS with exposure scenarios attached, produced under REACH for substances registered above a tonnage threshold.
- Adequate control
- The COSHH standard: exposure prevented, or where not reasonably practicable, controlled below the limit with good practice applied.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about chemical risk assessment
Is a safety data sheet enough?+
No. The sheet describes the substance's intrinsic hazards and offers general handling advice written without knowledge of your process. The assessment describes what happens when someone uses a stated quantity, by a stated method, for a stated time, in a stated place. The same product can require very different controls in two areas of one site, and the sheet gives identical advice for both.
What changed with OSHA HazCom in 2024?+
The final rule published in May 2024, effective 19 July 2024, aligned the Hazard Communication Standard with GHS Revision 7, the first realignment since the 2012 update to Revision 3. Changes cover hazard classification, label elements including provisions for small containers, safety data sheet content in several sections, and trade secret disclosure of concentration ranges.
When do the HazCom deadlines fall?+
OSHA extended them by four months on 15 January 2026. Manufacturers, importers and distributors evaluating substances now have until 19 May 2026, and employers handling substances until 20 November 2026. For mixtures the dates are 19 November 2027 for manufacturers and 19 May 2028 for employers. During the transition period compliance with the updated rule, the 2012 standard, or both is permitted.
Why is skin exposure so often missed?+
Because inhalation is what exposure limits are written for and what monitoring measures. Skin absorption, local damage and hand-to-mouth transfer have no equivalent limit to compare against, so they are harder to assess and easier to omit. Across occupational ill health, skin routes are a large contributor, and wet work in particular is rarely treated as a chemical exposure at all.
What triggers review?+
Any change to the substance, supplier, formulation, quantity, method, frequency, location or ventilation, plus any reported symptom, spill or monitoring result suggesting control is inadequate. The supplier change trigger is missed most often, because a like-for-like substitution on price can alter the formulation without anyone treating it as a change.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Chemical Safety and WHMIS
Spill Report
Records a release of chemical, fuel, oil or wastewater
Spill Response Record
Records what was done to contain, clean up and dispose of a spill
Chemical Substitution Assessment
Assesses whether a hazardous substance can be replaced by something safer, and what the substitute brings with it
Restricted Substance Compliance Record
Records compliance with restricted substance obligations covering ozone depleting gases, persistent chemicals and packaging materials
Explosive Atmosphere Zoning Record
Records the zoning of areas where flammable dust or vapour can form an explosive atmosphere, and the equipment permitted there
Chemical and Substance Register
Lists every chemical and hazardous substance held on site, with quantity, location and hazard class
More in Chemicals
Chemical Inventory Record
Records what chemicals are held where, in what quantity and in what container
Safety Data Sheet Review
Checks each safety data sheet is current, complete and available to the people who use the product
Chemical Storage Compatibility Check
Checks that stored chemicals are separated correctly so incompatible products cannot mix
Spill Kit Inspection
Checks spill kits are stocked, sealed, accessible and suited to the chemicals nearby
Chemical Decanting Checklist
Steps through transferring a chemical from one container to another safely, including labelling the new container
Dust Hazard Assessment
Assesses combustible dust risk from materials, housekeeping and equipment
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, regulations 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13
- 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication Standard, as amended May 2024, OSHA
- HCS 2024 compliance date extension notice, OSHA, 15 January 2026
- 29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z, toxic and hazardous substances, OSHA
- HSE EH40 workplace exposure limits (GB)
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.