COSHH Compliance for Cleaning in Ireland: Chemical Safety Guide (2026)

What Is COSHH and How Does It Apply in Ireland?

COSHH stands for Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. While COSHH is technically UK legislation (the COSHH Regulations 2002), the term is widely used in the Irish cleaning industry to describe chemical safety compliance. In Ireland, the equivalent legal obligations come from two principal pieces of legislation:

• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 — The primary health and safety legislation in Ireland. Section 8 places a general duty on employers to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of employees, including protection from hazardous substances.
• Chemical Agents Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 619 of 2001) — These implement EU Directive 98/24/EC and specifically address the risks from chemical agents at work. They require risk assessment, exposure prevention or control, health surveillance, and information and training for workers.

Additionally, the CLP Regulation (EC No. 1272/2008) governs the classification, labelling, and packaging of chemical substances and the REACH Regulation (EC No. 1907/2006) covers the registration, evaluation, and authorisation of chemicals. Both are directly applicable EU regulations and apply in Ireland.

In practical terms, if your staff use cleaning chemicals — from general-purpose cleaners to specialist disinfectants and degreasers — you must comply with chemical safety requirements. This applies equally to contract cleaning companies and organisations with in-house cleaning teams.

Why COSHH Matters in Cleaning

Cleaning chemicals are the most common source of occupational chemical exposure in Ireland. The cleaning industry uses a wide range of products that can cause harm:

• Corrosive products — Toilet descalers, oven cleaners, and drain unblockers contain strong acids or alkalis that can cause chemical burns to skin and eyes.
• Irritant products — Many general-purpose cleaners, degreasers, and sanitisers are skin and respiratory irritants, causing dermatitis with repeated exposure.
• Sensitisers — Some chemicals can cause allergic reactions that worsen with each exposure. Once sensitised, even tiny amounts can trigger a reaction.
• Toxic products — Certain specialist cleaning chemicals are toxic if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.
• Dangerous reactions — Mixing incompatible chemicals (the classic example being bleach and acid toilet cleaner) can generate toxic chlorine gas, which has caused fatalities.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) reports that occupational skin disease, largely caused by chemical exposure, is one of the most common work-related health conditions in Ireland. Proper COSHH compliance prevents these injuries.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

A Safety Data Sheet is the foundation of chemical safety. Under the REACH Regulation, the supplier of any hazardous chemical product must provide an SDS. Every cleaning chemical on your premises must have a current SDS available and accessible to all staff who use it.

An SDS contains 16 mandatory sections:

1. Identification of the substance/mixture and company
2. Hazards identification
3. Composition/information on ingredients
4. First aid measures
5. Firefighting measures
6. Accidental release measures (spill procedures)
7. Handling and storage
8. Exposure controls/personal protection
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability and reactivity
11. Toxicological information
12. Ecological information
13. Disposal considerations
14. Transport information
15. Regulatory information
16. Other information

SDSs should be kept in a clearly marked folder in the cleaning storeroom and available electronically. For healthcare settings, HIQA inspectors will check that SDS documentation is accessible and up to date.

Risk Assessments for Cleaning Chemicals

Under the Chemical Agents Regulations 2001, you must carry out a risk assessment for every hazardous chemical used on site. The risk assessment must identify:

• The hazardous properties of each chemical (from the SDS)
• Who is exposed and how (skin contact, inhalation, ingestion, eye contact)
• The level, type, and duration of exposure
• The circumstances of work (ventilation, confined spaces, temperature)
• Any occupational exposure limit values (OELs) that apply
• The effectiveness of control measures already in place

Based on the assessment, you must implement control measures following the hierarchy of controls:

1. Elimination — Can you remove the hazardous chemical entirely? Can the task be done without chemicals?
2. Substitution — Can you replace it with a less hazardous alternative? Many traditional cleaning chemicals have safer modern equivalents.
3. Engineering controls — Ventilation, enclosed systems, dilution dosing systems that prevent contact with concentrated chemicals.
4. Administrative controls — Safe systems of work, training, signage, restricted access during chemical use.
5. PPE — Gloves, eye protection, aprons, respiratory protection as the last line of defence.

Risk assessments must be reviewed annually and whenever a new chemical is introduced. See our green cleaning guide for information on reducing chemical hazards through environmentally friendly alternatives.

Chemical Storage Requirements

Proper storage of cleaning chemicals is essential for safety. Your cleaning chemical storage area must meet these requirements:

• Locked and secure — The storage area must be lockable and accessible only to authorised personnel. This prevents unauthorised access, theft, and accidental misuse.
• Ventilated — Adequate ventilation prevents the build-up of chemical vapours. A small window or extraction fan is sufficient for most cleaning storerooms.
• Original containers — Chemicals must be stored in their original containers with labels intact. Never decant chemicals into unmarked containers. If diluted solutions are stored, the containers must be clearly labelled with the product name, hazard information, and dilution ratio.
• Separation of incompatibles — Oxidising agents (bleach) must be stored separately from acids (toilet descaler). Flammable products must be stored away from heat sources and oxidisers. Check SDS Section 7 for storage compatibility.
• Spillage containment — Drip trays or bunding to contain leaks and spills. The containment should hold at least 110% of the volume of the largest container stored.
• Signage — The storage area must display appropriate hazard warning signs and a list of emergency contacts.
• Spill kit — An appropriate spill kit should be readily accessible near the storage area.
• Away from food — Chemical storage must be completely separate from food storage areas, drinking water sources, and first aid supplies.
• Temperature control — Most cleaning chemicals should be stored between 5°C and 25°C. Check SDS Section 7 for specific requirements.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE is the last line of defence in chemical safety, used when hazards cannot be adequately controlled by other means. The specific PPE required depends on the chemicals being used, as detailed in SDS Section 8. As a minimum for commercial cleaning:

• Gloves — Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or rubber) for all chemical handling. Latex gloves are not suitable as they do not provide adequate chemical protection and can cause latex allergy.
• Eye protection — Safety goggles or face shield when handling concentrated chemicals, using spray products overhead, or when the SDS requires it. Chemical splashes to the eyes can cause permanent damage.
• Aprons — Chemical-resistant aprons when mixing or handling concentrated chemicals, particularly corrosive products.
• Respiratory protection — Appropriate respiratory protection when using volatile products in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, or when working with products that generate hazardous fumes.
• Footwear — Closed-toe, non-slip footwear with chemical resistance appropriate to the products in use.

Under Section 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, PPE must be provided free of charge by the employer. Training on correct PPE selection, use, storage, and replacement must be given to all staff.

Training Requirements

All cleaning staff must receive documented chemical safety training before using any cleaning products. Training must cover:

• Understanding GHS hazard pictograms and signal words
• How to read and use Safety Data Sheets
• Correct product dilution ratios and methods
• Safe handling, application, and disposal procedures
• PPE selection, use, inspection, storage, and replacement
• Chemical storage rules and incompatibilities
• Spill response and clean-up procedures
• First aid measures for chemical exposure (skin, eyes, inhalation, ingestion)
• Never mixing chemicals (especially bleach and acids)
• Reporting procedures for incidents and near-misses

Training must be documented with records showing the date, content, trainer, and attendees. Records must be retained for the duration of employment. Refresher training should be conducted annually and whenever new chemicals are introduced. For healthcare settings, colour-coded cleaning training should be included alongside chemical safety training.

Common Chemical Hazards in Cleaning

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the enforcement body for workplace health and safety in Ireland. Penalties for chemical safety non-compliance under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 include:

• On-the-spot fines — For specific offences, the HSA can issue fixed-penalty notices.
• Improvement notices — Requiring you to remedy a contravention within a specified period.
• Prohibition notices — Immediately stopping a work activity that poses a serious risk.
• Summary conviction — Fines up to €5,000 and/or up to 6 months imprisonment.
• Conviction on indictment — Fines up to €3,000,000 and/or up to 2 years imprisonment.

Beyond criminal penalties, non-compliance exposes you to civil liability. If a cleaning worker or building occupant is injured by chemical exposure, the employer and the building occupier may both face personal injury claims. Having a professional cleaning company with documented COSHH compliance shifts much of this liability to the provider. For information on choosing a compliant provider, see our selection guide.

COSHH Checklist for Facility Managers

Use this checklist to assess your current chemical safety compliance:

• Do you have a current SDS for every cleaning chemical on site?
• Are SDSs accessible to all cleaning staff?
• Has a risk assessment been completed for each chemical?
• Are risk assessments reviewed annually?
• Is the chemical storage area locked, ventilated, and properly organised?
• Are incompatible chemicals stored separately?
• Is spillage containment in place?
• Is appropriate PPE available and in good condition?
• Have all cleaning staff received documented chemical safety training?
• Are training records up to date?
• Do staff know the spill response procedure?
• Do staff know first aid measures for chemical exposure?
• Is a spill kit available near the chemical storage area?
• Are chemical labels intact on all containers?
• Is there a procedure for introducing new chemicals?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you have a compliance gap that needs addressing. A professional contract cleaning company like Optus Glean handles all of these requirements as part of the service.