2 ways to run in-house COSHH training
I'm Liam Jones, founder of Pilla and a qualified management consultant. I've helped hundreds of businesses set up workflows, and in this article I'm going to show you two real examples of how to run in-house COSHH training.
I'll start with the simple agenda, then add a group photo for the record. You can open up each template in our workflow builder playground as a starting point and experiment for yourself.
If you're looking to automate this part of your operation, speak to an expert and we'll show you what it would take to set up.
The workflows at a glance
- #1 - The training agenda. A checklist of the COSHH points to cover, plus a field for who was trained.
- #2 - With a group photo. The same agenda, plus a group photo of the session kept on the training record as evidence.
Article Content
#1 - The training agenda
Who it's for: Managers who know the COSHH controls and want to brief staff, with a record it happened.
What it is: In-house COSHH training is a short session a manager delivers to staff. This version is the agenda for that session: a checklist of the points to cover, reading the label and safety data sheet, using the right product and dilution, wearing the PPE, never mixing chemicals, storing them correctly, and what to do for a spill or skin contact, plus a field for the names of everyone trained.
In practice: A manager gathers new kitchen porters before the shift, runs through the degreaser label, the correct dilution, the gloves it needs, and why it must never go near the bleach, and types in who attended. Fifteen minutes, and a dated record the team was trained.
Why it works: The agenda sits on the canvas, so the session covers the same ground every time, whoever runs it. Capturing the names in the same step means one record covers the session, whether you train one person or the whole team.
Steps included:
- 1 checklist (6 COSHH points to cover)
- 1 field for who was trained (names)
#2 - With a group photo
Who it's for: Operations that want a photo on the training record as proof the session actually happened, not just a name typed in a box.
What it is: The training agenda plus a group photo of the staff who were trained, kept on the record alongside the names. A quick snap at the end of the session, and the record carries a picture of who was there.
In practice: The manager finishes running through the points, gathers the team for a quick photo, and saves. The training record now has the agenda, the names, and a photo of the group, one tap to produce if an inspector ever asks who was trained and when.
What it adds to the training agenda:
- A group photo as proof the session ran, harder to dispute than a typed name
- A visual record kept next to the names, in the same session
- Something concrete to show an EHO or inspector beyond a text log
Why it works: A photo of the group is quick to take and hard to fake, so the record carries proof the training happened, not just a note that it did.
Steps included:
- 1 checklist (6 COSHH points to cover)
- 1 field for who was trained (names)
- 1 group photo of the session
How to pick the right version
You don't need to know our product to choose. Both versions are the same training agenda; the second just keeps a photo on the record too.
Do you just need a record the session ran?
If a dated agenda with the names of who attended is enough, #1 is all you need. It covers the same ground every session and gives you a record it happened.
Do you want photo proof on the record?
If you want a picture of the group alongside the names, so the record shows who was trained, #2 adds a group photo of the session.
Related workflows
- COSHH risk assessment - the assessment behind this training
- In-house dermatitis training - skin protection from chemicals
- In-house PPE training - the gloves and protection chemicals need
Conclusion
In-house COSHH training turns safe chemical use, the never-mix rule, and PPE into a short repeatable session with a record it happened. The first version logs the agenda and who attended; the second keeps a group photo of the session on the record as evidence.