COSHH Assessment for Cleaning Companies UK: Complete Guide

If your cleaning company uses bleach, degreasers, descalers or any other hazardous chemical, you are legally required to carry out a COSHH assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. This guide explains exactly what that means for a UK cleaning business, and how to produce assessments that hold up if a client or the HSE ever asks to see them.

What is a COSHH assessment?

COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. A COSHH assessment is a written record identifying every substance in your workplace that could harm someone's health, how staff are exposed to it, and the steps you take to control that risk. For cleaning companies, this covers almost every chemical product on the van — from everyday multi-surface sprays to industrial-strength descalers and disinfectants.

Why cleaning companies specifically need one

Cleaning is one of the sectors most commonly cited in HSE guidance on COSHH because staff handle concentrated chemicals daily, often in enclosed spaces such as toilets, kitchens and storerooms. Common risks include skin irritation and dermatitis from repeated contact, respiratory irritation from fumes, and the danger of accidentally mixing incompatible products (bleach and ammonia-based cleaners, for example, produce toxic gas when combined).

Beyond the legal duty, commercial clients — particularly in healthcare, education, and facilities management — increasingly ask to see COSHH documentation before awarding a contract. Not having one ready can cost you the bid before you even get to price.

What must a COSHH assessment include?

• The substance name and where the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is kept
• Who is exposed to it, and how (inhalation, skin contact, ingestion)
• The health effects if exposure isn't controlled
• The control measures in place — ventilation, PPE, safe storage, dilution ratios
• Emergency procedures — spillage response, first aid, disposal
• Review date and the name of the person who carried out the assessment

Step-by-step: writing a COSHH assessment

Start by listing every chemical product your team uses, including anything kept in vans or storerooms. For each one, pull the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet — this contains the hazard classification and recommended controls you'll need to reference. Assess how the product is actually used on site: is it diluted, sprayed, or used neat? Is it used in a confined space? Then document the control measures already in place and add any additional ones needed, such as providing gloves, ensuring COSHH training has been completed, or switching to a lower-hazard alternative product where possible.

Once written, a COSHH assessment isn't a one-off document — it should be reviewed whenever you introduce a new chemical, change how a product is used, or at least annually.

COSHH assessments vs risk assessments

COSHH assessments are often confused with general risk assessments, but they serve different purposes. A COSHH assessment is specifically about hazardous substances, while a cleaning risk assessment covers the wider range of hazards on a job — slips, trips, working at height, lone working and more. Most cleaning companies need both. We cover the distinction in detail in COSHH vs Risk Assessment: What Is The Difference?

Keeping COSHH assessments organised

Paper COSHH files get lost, go out of date, and are hard to produce quickly when a client asks for evidence during an audit. Cleaning companies using Fovexa keep COSHH assessments, Safety Data Sheets and review dates in one place, with reminders when a review is due, so documentation is always ready to show a client or inspector.

Frequently Asked Questions