Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help uphold health and safety standards in relation to worker exposure to hazardous substances.

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) 10 year strategy Protecting People and Places, sets a clear objective to reduce work-related ill health and to deliver on this. There is also a focus on reducing workplace exposure to hazardous substances.

Hazardous substances are subject to The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH). These regulations require employers to undertake a risk assessment to decide the measures needed to prevent, or where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately control the exposure of their employees to hazardous substances. Once assessed, COSHH requires employers to implement the controls identified.

HSE publishes an Approved Code of Practice and guidance to COSHH and a suite of free web guidance Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) - HSE to help employers assess and control the risks from hazardous substances.

HSE engages widely with industry stakeholders to raise awareness of work-related ill health, commonly addressing exposure to hazardous substances. Inspectors from HSE also routinely tackle exposure to hazardous substances when inspecting workplaces and investigating concerns or incidents. They will take enforcement action where the standards are not met.