Your legal obligation
Why aromatherapists need a COSHH assessment specifically for essential oils
Essential oils are concentrated chemical substances with documented hazardous properties. Many are classified as skin sensitisers under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. Some contain compounds with phototoxic properties. Several are known to cause respiratory sensitisation with repeated inhalation exposure. || For an aromatherapist, the COSHH assessment needs to address each essential oil used in practice - the specific compounds responsible for its hazardous properties, the routes of occupational exposure, the concentration at which it is used, and the controls in place to manage exposure. This is a more detailed exercise than COSHH for standard cleaning products, reflecting the chemical complexity of essential oils. || The carrier oils and other products used in aromatherapy blending and massage also need to be included in the assessment. A complete COSHH assessment covers the full product range of the practice.
The real problem
Aromatherapy COSHH documentation is almost entirely absent from practice despite significant chemical hazards
The absence of COSHH documentation in aromatherapy practice is widespread and difficult to explain given the documented hazardous properties of many essential oils. Many therapists are aware of the sensitisation risk from their training but do not translate this awareness into formal COSHH documentation. || CompliantDocs generates your COSHH assessment from the essential oils and products you tell us you use, producing documentation that reflects the actual chemical hazard profile of your aromatherapy practice.
2 hours
The minimum time required to produce a proper essential oil COSHH assessment covering a typical aromatherapy product range. Our service does it in minutes.