A safety data sheet is not a COSHH assessment
Understand the different jobs of a safety data sheet and a COSHH assessment, then organise substances, tasks, reviews and records together.
Product information and task assessment
A safety data sheet (SDS) provides information about a chemical product. A Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment considers the work in which exposure may occur. HSE explicitly explains that an SDS does not replace the assessment.
Use the current HSE sources below for the assessment approach in Great Britain. This guide focuses on organising the records so that product information, tasks and review decisions can be found together.
Start with a useful substance register
Create a consistent record for each substance used by the team. A recognisable product name and site allocation are more helpful than a folder full of unexplained file names. Keep the SDS connected to the substance record, with a clear owner for updating it.
Before uploading another copy, check whether the product already exists in the register. Duplicated records can send different sites to different versions of the same information. A shared record reduces that uncertainty without removing the need to consider local work conditions.
- Use a consistent substance or product name.
- Keep the supplier information and SDS together.
- Connect the record to the sites using it.
- Identify who maintains the record.
Connect the information to the work
An assessment needs the context of the task, including how exposure could happen and what controls are appropriate. Some hazardous substances arise from the work itself, such as dust or fumes, rather than arriving in a labelled container. The HSE assessment guidance covers that distinction.
Organisationally, make the task easy to recognise. A reviewer should not have to infer the work location, activity or people involved from an attachment's file name. Keep supporting records alongside the assessment rather than asking the supervisor to assemble them again.
Example: the same product, different tasks
Imagine two teams use the same purchased product. One uses it occasionally in an open work area; another plans a different process in a different location. A single product record can supply common reference information, while the assessment records the circumstances of the relevant task.
The practical lesson is to share product information without assuming that every use has identical exposure conditions. In a connected record structure, the substance stays recognisable while the associated tasks and decisions remain distinct.
Make reviews visible
Assign an owner and a planned review point. If new product information arrives or a task changes, bring that information to the person responsible for the assessment. Record the decision, including whether it changes the information the site team needs.
Reminders help people notice approaching reviews; they cannot determine whether an assessment remains suitable. Give the reviewer access to the current SDS, task context and previous decisions so the reminder leads to a useful action.
The COSHH module connects substance records, SDS documents and review reminders. Linking it with workforce and audit records helps the team keep track of who needs the information and what changed.
Sources and further reading
Primary guidance checked on 17 October 2026. Refer to the source for its current wording and scope.