Cleaning chemicals, paints, fuels, dust, fumes and solvents are part of daily work in many Dubai workplaces. Most of them are safe when handled correctly, but harmful when they are not.
COSHH Training Course in Dubai teach supervisors, HSE staff and team leaders how to identify hazardous substances, assess the risks to health and put the right controls in place. In this guide, we explain what COSHH means, what the training covers and who should attend.
In short: COSHH training teaches you how to find hazardous substances in your workplace, assess how people could be harmed, prevent or control exposure, and make sure workers have the right information, training and protective equipment.
COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. It comes from the UK’s COSHH Regulations 2002, published by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Although COSHH is a UK regulation, its step-by-step method is widely used by companies around the world, including in the UAE, as a practical way to manage hazardous substances at work.
According to the UK HSE, hazardous substances include:
A simple rule: if a product’s packaging shows a hazard symbol, it contains a hazardous substance.
You learn how to list the substances used, produced or stored in your workplace, including ones people often forget, like dust from cutting or fumes from welding.
You learn how to judge who could be harmed and how, whether by breathing in, skin contact or swallowing, and how serious the harm could be. This includes risks from storing, handling and disposing of substances, and from spills or emergencies.
The best option is to prevent exposure, for example by using a safer product. When that is not possible, you learn how to control exposure, such as through ventilation, safe work methods and limiting how long people are exposed.
Gloves, goggles, respirators and protective clothing are the last line of defence. You learn how to choose the right PPE for each substance and make sure it fits and is used correctly.
You learn how to write a clear COSHH assessment, share it with the people who need it, and review it when work, products or people change.
A good assessment is only useful if workers understand it. You learn how to explain the risks and the controls clearly to your team.
COSHH assessment training is ideal for people who are responsible for others, such as:
These two courses are often confused, but they serve different people.
| COSHH Training | Chemical Handling Training | |
| Who it’s for | Supervisors, HSE staff and managers | Workers who use chemicals every day |
| Main focus | Assessing and controlling health risks | Using, storing and handling chemicals safely |
| Key skill | Writing and reviewing COSHH assessments | Following safe handling steps on the job |
Many companies train supervisors in COSHH and workers in safe handling. For workers, see our guide on chemical handling training in Dubai.
Some sites also deal with toxic gases. If your team works where hydrogen sulphide may be present, see our H2S training.
Hazardous substances are part of many jobs, but harm from them can be prevented. COSHH Training Course in Dubai gives supervisors and safety teams a clear, practical way to find the risks, control them and protect workers’ health.
Want to train your team? Contact ITAC Safety to ask about COSHH training for your workplace. If you work in the capital, see our COSHH assessment training in Abu Dhabi.
They are courses that teach supervisors and safety staff how to identify hazardous substances, assess health risks and put the right controls in place.
COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. It comes from the UK COSHH Regulations 2002.
No. COSHH is a UK regulation, but its method is widely used in the UAE as a practical way to manage hazardous substances at work.
HSE officers, supervisors, facilities managers and anyone responsible for writing or reviewing risk assessments for hazardous substances.
COSHH training teaches how to assess and control health risks. Chemical handling training teaches workers how to use and store chemicals safely.
Chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists, gases and biological agents such as germs.
