COSHH Register for Cleaning Products | Practical Guide

If your workplace has a cleaning cupboard, stockroom, salon area, kitchen, workshop or maintenance shelf, you probably have products that should be considered under COSHH. The tricky part is not usually knowing that a product exists — it is recording how it is used, who could be exposed, what controls are in place, and whether any action is needed.

This guide walks through a simple cleaning-products example and shows how a structured COSHH Assessment Pack can help you turn a loose list of products into a practical workplace record.

The problem with a normal “cleaning cupboard list”

Many small businesses have some kind of list of products, or they keep the bottles in one place and assume that is enough. But a COSHH record needs to do more than name the product.

That list is a start, but it does not explain the actual risk. For example, glass cleaner used occasionally on a shop window is very different from oven cleaner sprayed in a small kitchen area. A COSHH assessment needs to look at the product, the task, the exposure, the controls and any action needed.

HSE guidance explains that a COSHH assessment should consider harmful substances, how workers could be exposed, how often and for how long, existing controls, further action, who needs to do that action and when. You can read the HSE overview here: HSE COSHH risk assessment guidance .

What a useful COSHH product register should include

A useful COSHH register should help someone understand the actual workplace use of each product. That means recording the product name, but also the task, exposure routes, current controls and PPE.

The Easy Compliance Tools COSHH Assessment Pack is built around this structure. Instead of starting with a blank document, you add each product to a guided register and work through the important sections step by step.

Example: adding a limescale remover to your COSHH pack

Here is how one common cleaning product might be entered into a COSHH register.

In our COSHH tool, you can start this faster by choosing the generic “Acidic limescale remover / descaler” preset. The preset adds suggested starter content, such as likely exposure routes, common controls and PPE prompts. You still review and edit it for your actual product and how it is used in your workplace.

Example: why “oven cleaner” should not be treated like “glass cleaner”

One of the most useful parts of a COSHH register is that it separates products by actual risk. A mild glass cleaner and a stronger oven cleaner may both sit in the same cupboard, but they should not be assessed as if they are the same.

The risk rating in the COSHH Assessment Pack helps with this. For each product, the tool records:

• Risk before controls — the likely risk before control measures are applied.
• Risk after controls — the remaining risk once controls and PPE are followed.
• Action required — where extra controls, training, PPE or review are needed.

That means your final PDF does not just list products. It shows which products are controlled and which ones need attention.

Do you need a Safety Data Sheet for every cleaning product?

A Safety Data Sheet, often called an SDS, is useful because it gives manufacturer or supplier safety information. If you have one, use it when completing the COSHH assessment.

But an SDS is not the same as a workplace COSHH assessment. HSE explains that a safety data sheet does not substitute for carrying out and recording a COSHH risk assessment because it is not specific to your workplace. It cannot know how often you use the product, whether it is sprayed, who could be nearby, what ventilation exists or what controls are followed. See: HSE COSHH frequently asked questions .

In the Easy Compliance Tools journey, SDS details are helpful but not treated as the whole assessment. The tool asks where the safety information came from, then guides you through the workplace-specific questions.

A simple cleaning cupboard COSHH register example

For a small shop, salon, café or office, a first COSHH register might include:

With the online COSHH Assessment Pack, you can add all of these products into one register, rather than creating separate documents one by one. The final PDF includes the register, individual product assessments, risk ratings, actions, review date and sign-off page.

What makes a COSHH record useful to staff?

A good COSHH record should not sit unread in a folder. It should help staff understand what to do. For cleaning products, that usually means making the controls obvious:

• Which products must not be mixed.
• When gloves or eye protection are needed.
• Whether the area should be ventilated.
• What to do after a spill.
• Where products should be stored.
• Who is responsible for any action.

The COSHH Assessment Pack includes a staff briefing and sign-off section so the record can be used as part of a practical workplace process, not just downloaded and forgotten.

When should you review the register?

The tool gives a suggested review date, normally 12 months from the assessment date. You should also review sooner if something changes, such as:

• a new cleaning product is introduced
• a product is used in a different way
• a stronger chemical replaces a milder one
• staff report irritation, breathing issues or other concerns
• controls or PPE change
• there is a spill, near miss or accident

HSE guidance says assessments should be reviewed regularly and updated where workplace changes may create new risks. The review date in your COSHH pack helps make that visible.