Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

HEALTH AND SAFETY TIME

COSHH (or "Control of Substances Hazardous to Health") is a legislation (fancy word for "law") put in place to ensure the protection of people working with chemicals or other such substances which could cause them injury or illness. This legislation involves different ways to make sure that you're working in a safe environment. These include:

• Identifying the possible health hazards of your working environment
• Making risk assessments to decide how to prevent accidents and harm to health
• Providing control measures to ensure the risk of harm to health is as low as possible
• Providing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) e.g. safety goggles, gloves, aprons and suitable protection for skin/clothing
• Taking measures to avoid spillages and promptly cleaning them up if they happen
• Practicing good hygiene 
• Planning for emergencies, having a clear plan for fires/chemical spillages/etc

Health hazards come in many forms, included but not limited to:

- Chemicals/hazardous substances

- Fire

- Electrical appliances 

- Sharp objects

- Loose clothing/long hair

- Bags/clothes/items on the floor that could be tripped over

- Spilled liquids

- Heated appliances 

- Gas

- Contagious conditions/infections/diseases

- Allergies

So how does this apply to me/other practicing Make-up Artists?

Well, COSHH and other Health and Safety legislations apply to everyone, as accidents happen every day and some can be very serious and lead to physical and/or mental harm, damage of property and financial loss.

Make-up is a very varied industry and involves a lot of products, locations, processes, costumes, and materials which could pose serious threat to health and safety. 
Straighteners could be too hot, a client could have an allergic reaction to something, things could fall from shelves, A CRAFT KNIFE COULD BE PLUNGED INTO SOMEONE'S NECK, someone could even trip over their own laces in the studio. 

In the words of Chloe Stothard: "Don't stick pins in your model!"