COSHH training online free vs paid: what you get

How COSHH training works, free or paid

COSHH is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, with the 2003 Regulations in Northern Ireland. Regulation 12 says employers must give any employee who may be exposed to a hazardous substance "suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training". That covers the substances and their risks, the main findings of the COSHH assessment, the precautions to take, and the results of any monitoring and health surveillance. The training must be "adapted to take account of significant changes" in the work, and "provided in a manner appropriate to the level, type and duration of exposure identified by the risk assessment". Contractors doing the work need it too.

HSE's page on COSHH training says employers should "Provide information, training and instruction for employees who work with substances hazardous to health", and that "This includes cleaning and maintenance staff." It says employees need to understand the outcome of the risk assessment: the hazards and risks, any workplace exposure limit, monitoring and health surveillance results, and "what to do if there is an accident (eg spillage) or emergency." Employees should have access to safety data sheets, and employers should "Keep basic training records."

Neither the regulations nor HSE's page name a course, a certificate or a refresh date. Your employer decides what training you need, based on its COSHH assessments, and adds the details for the substances you use.

Free COSHH training: HSE guidance and other free options

HSE leaflet INDG136. "Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHH" explains how to control hazardous substances at work. HSE offers it as a free download.

HSE COSHH essentials. HSE says COSHH essentials "sets out basic advice on what to do to control exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace". It comes as control guidance sheets: direct advice sheets for industries such as service and retail, printing, motor vehicle repair, welding and woodworking, and generic sheets. The service and retail set includes SR04 Manual cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and SR11 Hairdressing, plus a sheet of advice for managers. The sheets are free to read on the HSE website.

HSE COSHH basics. HSE's free COSHH pages cover what counts as a substance hazardous to health, COSHH assessments, safety data sheets and training.

Free courses with a certificate. Alison offers a free course, COSHH Champions, of 3 to 4 hours with "A CPD-accredited Alison Certificate". Its page does not mention the COSHH Regulations 2002, and it does not show the certificate price.

Employer-funded training. COSHH training is your employer's duty, so if you need it for work, ask your manager what they provide before you pay yourself. HSE lists local colleges, trade associations, suppliers of LEV and PPE, HSL and consultants as training providers.

Free and paid COSHH training compared

Here is what each provider shows on its own COSHH page, checked 26 October 2026, with prices exactly as shown.

"Check provider" means the provider's page did not show that detail when we checked.

So what does paying add?

HSE's free guidance explains what COSHH asks for. Paying adds a course around it:

• Structure and a test. HSE guidance is reference material. The paid courses in our table take you through it in modules and check what you learned.
• A certificate in your name. HSE asks employers to keep basic training records. A dated certificate gives your employer that record.
• A set price. Paid courses with a per-learner price cost £24 + VAT to £26 + VAT in our table.
• Refreshers. Providers recommend anything from 1 to 3 years, and the regulations ask for training to keep up with significant changes. Check what a refresher costs.

If your employer runs COSHH training on site, start there. If you need a record of your own, are new to a job that uses hazardous substances or supervise people who do, a paid course gives you that.

What you get with Lift College

The Lift College COSHH Training covers what COSHH expects every worker who handles hazardous substances to know, in 5 modules: what COSHH is, hazards and how they harm (including the nine hazard pictograms and routes of exposure), labels and safety data sheets, COSHH assessments and the hierarchy of controls, and working safely every day, from PPE and storage to spills and exposure. It explains the law for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

• £19.99, pay once. One payment for one learner, no subscription.
• 1.5 hours of learning in 5 short modules, each with a knowledge check, then a final test: 80% to pass, unlimited free retakes.
• CPD certificate issued by Lift College the same day, naming COSHH Training, with 1.5 hours of learning, your completion date, a refresh date 12 months on, a unique number and a verification link.
• Free refresher every 12 months. We email you 30 days before, and you retake the latest version free.
• 14-day money back. Ask within 14 days of paying for a full refund.

It suits people who use cleaning products, solvents, paints, oils or adhesives at work, people in cleaning, facilities, catering, care, engineering, construction or salons, and supervisors. Training a team? It is £16.99 a place on a free organisation account, with the first place free.

Which should you choose?

Take the free route if your employer trains you on site and you want to read up first, or you are an employer using HSE guidance to plan your COSHH assessments and training.

Pay for a course if your employer has asked you to complete COSHH awareness training, you need a certificate as a training record, you are starting a job that uses hazardous substances, or you supervise people who do.

Where to go next

• Comparing paid courses? Read our guide to COSHH training online in the UK.
• Browse all health and safety courses or every CPD course.

Ready to start? Take the Lift College COSHH training course online for £19.99, pay once.