Fibre Cement Board (cutting & drilling)
COSHH assessment
A COSHH assessment for fibre cement board (cutting & drilling) on a UK construction site: what it does to people, how it gets into them, the controls that stop it, the PPE for what is left, and what to do when it goes wrong. Copy it into your assessment and change what does not fit your job.
Hazards to health
Respirable crystalline silica from cutting, see COSHH-002. Also cellulose fibres (mechanical irritant). Modern boards do not contain asbestos but pre-1999 boards may, assume asbestos until proven otherwise.
Routes of exposure
Inhalation, Eye contact
Control measures
- Pre-1999 board: stop and arrange asbestos survey before cutting.
- Modern board: score and snap where possible to avoid power cutting.
- Power cut with diamond blade and on-tool M-class extraction or water suppression.
- Outdoors or extracted area only.
- Bag and seal off-cuts; M-class vac the work area.
PPE for what is left
- FFP3 mask (face-fit tested), Safety goggles, Nitrile gloves, Coveralls
Emergency procedures
- If suspected asbestos: stop work, evacuate area, do not clean up, call asbestos contractor.
- Modern fibre cement: fresh air for inhalation, irrigate eyes 15 mins, GP if persistent cough.
Questions people ask
Do I need a COSHH assessment for fibre cement board (cutting & drilling)?
If the substance is hazardous to health and your work exposes people to it, yes. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, regulation 6, require a suitable and sufficient assessment before the work starts, with the significant findings recorded if you employ five or more. The safety data sheet is an input to the assessment, not a substitute for it. Guidance, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a safety data sheet and a COSHH assessment?
The data sheet is the manufacturer describing the product in general. The assessment is you describing how your people use it on your job: how much, how often, for how long, in what ventilation, with what controls. Two firms using the same tin can have very different assessments.
What is a WEL?
A Workplace Exposure Limit, the maximum airborne concentration averaged over a reference period, set in HSE document EH40. Where one applies to this substance it is stated in the hazards above; where it does not, the duty to reduce exposure so far as is reasonably practicable still stands.
Is PPE enough?
No. COSHH puts PPE last: eliminate the substance, substitute for something less harmful, control at source with ventilation and enclosure, then organise the work to reduce exposure, and only then PPE for what is left. An assessment that jumps straight to gloves and a mask is the kind an inspector questions. Guidance, not legal advice.
How often should it be reviewed?
When the product, the method, the quantities or the people change, if there is any sign the controls are not working, and at least every year or so regardless. Health surveillance may be required where exposure could cause an identifiable disease, such as dermatitis or occupational asthma.
The COSHH assessment writes itself
Pick the substance in the SiteLynx RAMS editor and the COSHH assessment fills in with the hazards, controls and PPE, alongside the HAVS and noise assessments for the tools you chose. Signed on site on a phone. 14 days free.
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