What Is the Best Software for COSHH Risk Assessments? Why Labs Choose Labcup

What is a COSHH form, and why use software for it?

A COSHH form is a written risk assessment required under the UK Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. It records which hazardous substances a task uses, how people could be exposed, and which controls and PPE reduce that risk.

On paper or in spreadsheets, researchers copy hazard statements from each SDS by hand. That is slow, error-prone, and goes out of date when an SDS changes. COSHH software solves this by pulling hazard data from a single, maintained source.

Labcup goes one step further: the COSHH form is linked to the chemical inventory itself. The risk assessment appears on each chemical's datasheet, and each chemical appears on the risk assessment.

Labcup fills in all safety information automatically

When you add a chemical to a COSHH form from your Labcup inventory, the form is completed with that chemical's safety data. Nobody has to copy it from a PDF.

PPE in Labcup covers 12 types: apron, ear defenders, eye protection, face mask, face protection, gloves, hard hat, lab coat, outer layer, respirator, safety footwear and other. PPE can be set for a whole product or for one specific item, and each PPE entry can link to a product page or an internal PPE database.

Because the data comes from one source, COSHH forms stay consistent with the inventory instead of drifting away from it.

Biological risk assessments and other form types are supported

Labcup is not limited to chemicals. Biological Risk Assessment forms are supported, and PPE can be assigned to biological products and items in the same way as to chemicals.

Labcup offers these risk assessment types, each enabled according to your institute's configuration:

• Chemical Process (COSHH) forms for any experiment or process involving chemicals, integrated with the inventory.
• Biological Risk Assessment forms for work with biological agents and materials.
• Chemical Storage forms for the chemicals a person is responsible for. Labcup prepares a draft for each chemical by CAS number and calculates a relative storage risk index from 0 to 100.
• Work / Activity forms for tasks that involve no chemicals.
• Laser Safety forms, available when a laser is registered in the Assets module.

Every form has a reference number, can be saved as a draft, and can be cloned so colleagues can reuse a proven assessment under their own name.

COSHH forms customised to academic and industrial requirements

Labcup COSHH forms can be tailored to the exact requirements of a university, a research institute or an industrial partner. Organisations do not have to change the way they assess risk to fit the software.

• Your existing forms, digitised. Labcup can implement the COSHH and risk forms you already use, replacing the built-in templates.
• Several forms side by side. Multiple optional forms can be offered for each type, so a university department and an industrial collaborator can each use their own layout.
• Configurable fields. Administrators decide which fields are shown, for the whole site or for individual groups and departments.
• Named forms with audit trail. Only the original assessor can edit a form, and an approved form must be re-submitted for approval after any change.

Approval workflows adjusted to your roles

In Labcup, the COSHH approval process is configured around your organisation's roles, not a fixed template.

Each COSHH form is approved by the roles you choose:

1. Assessor: drafts and submits
2. Group Admin: approval level 1
3. Safety Officer: approval level 2
4. Approved: linked to datasheets

Rejected, or edited after approval: re-submit.

By default, chemical process (COSHH) forms use one or two approval levels: the Group Administrator and the Safety Officer. The number of levels, the approving roles and whether the assessor can pick the approver are all adjustable to local requirements.

A rejected form goes back to its assessor. An approved form that is later edited must be re-submitted, so every approved COSHH assessment reflects the version that was actually reviewed. Signed paper copies can be attached to the form if your process requires them.

A complete COSHH overview for Safety Officers

Labcup gives Safety Officers one place to see every COSHH assessment and every hazardous chemical across the site. Nothing can be hidden from a Safety Officer's view.

• Risk Assessment Overview. See all COSHH and biological forms, their status and their approvers at a glance.
• Safety Search. Search the whole inventory by GHS pictogram, H code, EUH code, hazard class, ADR transport class, UN number, OEL, TLV, LD50, PPE, missing or expired SDS, and linked risk assessment form.
• Export and reporting. Export any search result for audits and inspections, and download SDS files in bulk.
• Storage risk matrix. A 0–100 relative risk index per chemical, with recommendations for lowering storage risk to as low as reasonably practicable.
• Early warnings. Flags for chemicals that are expiring, stored incorrectly, mentioned in a safety report, or need a risk assessment before use.

What to look for in COSHH software — and how Labcup compares

The best COSHH software connects risk assessments to live chemical data, supports approvals and gives safety staff oversight. Labcup covers every key criterion.