Welding is governed in the UK by health and safety legislation, including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. COSHH requires employers to assess and control exposure to hazardous substances such as welding fume, and UK employers have legal duties to assess risks and protect employees during welding. This page explains COSHH and COSHH assessments, HSE expectations, occupational hygiene, who is responsible for welding safety and the records that must be kept.
COSHH and welding
What does COSHH mean?
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. These UK regulations require employers to assess and control exposure to hazardous substances, including welding fume. Following COSHH helps protect employees and ensures legal compliance.
Does COSHH apply to welding?
Yes. Welding fume is covered by COSHH because it contains substances that may be harmful to health. Employers should complete a COSHH assessment and implement suitable exposure controls.
What is a COSHH assessment?
A COSHH assessment identifies hazardous substances used or generated in the workplace, assesses the risks and specifies suitable control measures. For welding, this includes assessing fume generation, ventilation, PPE and exposure monitoring where appropriate. The controls a COSHH assessment leads to — chiefly LEV and fume extraction — are at the heart of safe welding.
HSE expectations on welding fume
The HSE advises that all welding fume should be considered hazardous to health, including fume from mild steel welding. Employers must control exposure using suitable engineering controls such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV), and where necessary, Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE). Following HSE guidance helps protect welders and ensures compliance with UK health and safety legislation. The detail of fume control is covered on our welding fume control and extraction page.
Occupational hygiene
What is occupational hygiene?
Occupational hygiene is the science of identifying, assessing and controlling workplace health hazards such as dust, fumes, gases and noise. Its aim is to protect workers by reducing exposure to harmful substances and creating healthier working environments.
Why is occupational hygiene important?
Occupational hygiene helps prevent work-related illness by identifying hazards before they affect employee health. Regular monitoring, risk assessments and engineering controls all contribute to safer workplaces. Good occupational hygiene also supports legal compliance and employee wellbeing.
Responsibilities and legal duties
Who is responsible for welding safety?
Employers are responsible for providing a safe working environment, carrying out risk assessments, implementing suitable control measures and ensuring employees receive appropriate training and equipment. Employees also have a responsibility to follow safe working procedures and use PPE correctly.
Do employers have a legal duty to protect welders?
Yes. UK employers have legal duties under health and safety legislation, including COSHH, to assess risks and protect employees from hazardous exposure during welding. This includes providing suitable extraction, PPE, training and ongoing maintenance of control measures.
Record keeping
What records should be kept for welding safety?
Employers should retain records of risk assessments, COSHH assessments, LEV examinations, maintenance, exposure monitoring, health surveillance where applicable and employee training. Good record keeping supports compliance and demonstrates effective health and safety management.
Putting compliance into practice
Meeting these duties means combining the right fume control, correct PPE, fire and hot work procedures and proper records. For wider compliance topics beyond welding fume, see the welding standards and compliance hub, or return to the welding safety hub.