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AB SiteSafe
Science-trained · Practically minded · Built for trades

Alexander Banister — Health & Safety Consultant

ABSiteSafe@outlook.com · 07487 592 063 · absitesafe.co.uk

COSHH Assessment — Blood-Borne Viruses, Sharps & Studio Substances · Ref: COSHH-HI-2026-01
Illustrative Sample — Fictional Studio · Not for Operational Use
Business
Harbour Ink Studio Ltd
Activity
Tattooing & Body Piercing
Premises
14 Quay Street, Brixstowe, Devon
Assessor
Alexander Banister — AB SiteSafe
Assessment Date
July 2026
Review Date
July 2027
Scope
This assessment covers exposure to hazardous substances and biological agents arising from tattooing and body-piercing at Harbour Ink Studio — principally blood and bodily fluids (blood-borne viruses), contaminated sharps, skin/surface disinfectants, tattoo pigments, and clinical waste. It is made under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), which extends to biological agents (Reg 7 & Schedule 3). It supports, and should be read alongside, the studio's registration under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and the local authority's byelaws for tattooing & skin piercing, and the studio's infection-control procedure. Where blood is present, all bodily fluids are treated as potentially infectious (standard/universal precautions). SDS for all chemical products are held on file. Review annually, on any change of product or procedure, after any incident/sharps injury, or on new supplier/health information.
Risk Key (after controls):
L Low — acceptable, maintain controls
M Medium — controls essential; ongoing vigilance & monitoring
H High — do not proceed until further action taken
Assessed per COSHH 2002 (incl. biological agents) & EH40 WELs (4th Ed.)
# Substance / Agent & Reference Form & Usage Hazard Classification WEL / OEL (EH40) Exposure Routes Control Measures (Hierarchy of Controls) PPE Required Residual Risk
1 Blood & Bodily Fluids — Blood-Borne Viruses Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), HIV Biological agent — COSHH Reg 7 & Sch 3 Client blood / tissue fluid & contaminated sharps generated during skin penetration
Every tattoo & piercing procedure		 Biological Agent — Hazard Group 3
Not a CLP-classified chemical — no GHS pictogram.
HBV/HCV/HIV = Hazard Group 3 agents (Approved List of biological agents).
Serious human disease; effective prophylaxis/treatment available (varies by agent). 		N/A
No WEL — biological agents are not assigned airborne exposure limits. Control by exposure prevention. 		Inoculation — needlestick / sharps injury (primary)
Mucous-membrane splash (eyes, mouth, nose)
Contact with non-intact skin
Not transmitted by intact skin or air
  • Elimination/substitution: Single-use, pre-sterilised, individually blister-packed needles & tubes only — never re-used, never re-sharpened. Prefer cartridge systems with membrane to reduce back-flow.
  • Engineering: Rigid, UN-approved sharps container (BS 7320 / UN 3291) at every station, within arm's reach; sealed at ¾ full; never overfilled.
  • Safe system of work: No re-sheathing or bending of needles; sharps never passed hand-to-hand; one-handed technique; sharps accounted for and disposed of by the person who used them, immediately after use.
  • Barrier protection: Single-use barrier film on machines, clip cords, bottles, armrests & work surfaces; changed between every client.
  • Immunisation: Hepatitis B vaccination offered/recommended to all artists & apprentice; status recorded (no vaccine for HCV/HIV — reinforces sharps discipline).
  • Skin integrity: Cover own cuts/abrasions with waterproof dressing before work; artists with weeping lesions do not tattoo.
  • Hygiene: Hand wash before gloving and after glove removal; alcohol hand rub between steps.
  • Health surveillance: Not routinely required; sharps-injury log kept; occupational-health referral available after any exposure.
  • Client screening: Consent/medical form flags relevant conditions — but universal precautions applied to ALL clients regardless of disclosure.
 Single-use nitrile gloves — changed between clients & if torn

Disposable apron

Eye protection where splatter foreseeable (e.g. lining, spray)		 MEDIUM
High inherent severity; low likelihood once controls maintained — vigilance essential
2 Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) 70% Skin prep & surface wipe · CAS 67-63-0 SDS: Current GB CLP issue held on file Liquid / pre-saturated wipe
Skin preparation & stencil work; surface wipe-down
Frequent, small quantities		 GHS02 — Flammable GHS07 — Irritant
Flammable liquid Cat 2 (H225) — note 70% v/v still flammable
Eye irritation Cat 2A (H319)
STOT-SE Cat 3 / drowsiness (H336) 		400 ppm
8hr TWA
500 ppm
15min STEL
(as vapour) 		Inhalation (vapour)
Skin contact (defatting/drying)
Eye contact (splash)
Ingestion (unlikely)
  • Quantity control: Use pre-saturated single-use wipes or decant minimum into a labelled dispenser; keep lids closed.
  • Ventilation: Studio kept generally ventilated; no build-up of vapour in the piercing room or enclosed spaces.
  • Ignition control: Keep away from naked flames, autoclave vents & heat sources; no smoking/vaping; do not store near electrics.
  • Skin: Limit prolonged skin contact; moisturise to counter drying; broken skin covered.
  • Storage: Original/labelled container, cool & ventilated, away from ignition; bulk stock kept to a minimum on the studio floor.
 Nitrile gloves (already worn for the procedure)

Safety glasses if decanting bulk or splash foreseeable

No RPE under normal ventilated use		 LOW
3 Chlorine-Releasing Surface Disinfectant NaDCC tablets / solution (e.g. Actichlor, Presept) · CAS 2893-78-9 SDS: Current GB CLP issue held on file Tablet dissolved to solution
Surface & blood-spill disinfection at 1,000–10,000 ppm av. Cl
Daily & after each client / spills		 GHS07 — Irritant GHS09 — Aquatic
Eye irritation Cat 2 (H319); skin/resp irritation (H315/H335)
EUH031 — releases toxic chlorine gas if mixed with acid
Very toxic to aquatic life (H410) 		0.5 ppm
Chlorine — 15min STEL
1.5 mg/m³
Chlorine STEL 		Inhalation (chlorine vapour, esp. if mis-mixed)
Eye/skin contact (solution)
Ingestion (unlikely)
  • Correct dilution: Make up to manufacturer's stated concentration only — higher blood-spill strength (~10,000 ppm) used only for spills, then surfaces wiped and re-wiped with water.
  • Never mix: Do NOT combine with acidic cleaners, ammonia or other products — toxic gas risk (EUH031). One product per task.
  • Ventilation: Ventilate during use; make up solution fresh — chlorine solutions lose strength and off-gas over time.
  • Contact time: Observe the SDS/label contact time for effective virucidal action before wiping.
  • Storage: Tablets in original tub, dry, away from acids & out of sunlight; keep out of reach of clients.
  • Environment: Dispose of spent solution to foul drain with plenty of water; do not release concentrate to surface water.
 Nitrile gloves (chemical-resistant)

Safety glasses when making up / handling spill-strength solution

Ensure ventilation		 LOW
4 Tattoo Inks & Pigments REACH/UK-REACH-compliant sterile inks (various) SDS / conformity statement held per brand on file Sterile liquid pigment
Decanted into single-use caps; introduced into dermis
Every tattoo		 Potential skin sensitiser Not classified (most)
Compliant inks generally not CLP-classified; some pigments = possible skin sensitisers (H317).
Must meet UK REACH restrictions on tattoo/PMU inks (no banned pigments/impurities). 		No WEL
Not established for finished inks 		Skin contact (handling — incidental)
Introduced to dermis (intended use — client)
Eye contact (splash)
  • Procurement control: Only inks with a UK REACH conformity statement & SDS; sterile, sealed, in date; batch/lot recorded against the client for traceability.
  • Single-use: Decant into single-use caps; never return decanted ink to the bottle; discard caps & residual ink after each client.
  • Contamination control: Bottle nozzle not touched to skin or contaminated surfaces; barrier film on bottle during use.
  • Client patch/history: Consent form checks known pigment/dye allergies; advise clients of possible sensitisation; document reactions.
  • Storage: Cool, dark, sealed; observe expiry; discard if seal broken or contaminated.
 Nitrile gloves (worn for procedure)

No RPE required

Eye protection if splash foreseeable		 LOW
5 Clinical & Sharps Waste Contaminated sharps, barrier film, wipes, gloves EWC 18-01-03* · handled per waste transfer chain Contaminated single-use items & sealed sharps bins
Generated every procedure; collected on schedule		 Infectious — Cat B (UN 3291)
Offensive/infectious healthcare waste.
Carries the same BBV inoculation hazard as item 1 until safely contained & removed. 		N/A
Biological — no WEL 		Inoculation from protruding/over-filled sharps
Contact with contaminated waste
  • Segregation: Sharps to rigid UN-approved bin only; soft contaminated waste to orange/tiger clinical-waste sacks; general waste kept separate.
  • Fill discipline: Sharps bins sealed at ¾ full, dated & signed on assembly and closure; never decanted or forced down.
  • Licensed removal: Removed by a licensed clinical-waste carrier; waste transfer / consignment notes retained (duty of care, Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.34).
  • Storage: Awaiting-collection waste in a secure area away from clients & public; bins not left on the studio floor overnight.
  • Spill response: Blood/sharps spill kit available; procedure known to all staff (see emergency panel).
 Nitrile gloves

Disposable apron when handling filled sacks/bins

Never hand-compress or reach into waste		 LOW

AB SiteSafe · ABSiteSafe@outlook.com · 07487 592 063 · absitesafe.co.uk · Professional Indemnity & Public Liability Insured

Page 1 of 2 — Substance & agent assessment · Illustrative fictional sample · © 2026 AB SiteSafe

AB SiteSafe
Science-trained · Practically minded · Built for trades

Alexander Banister — Health & Safety Consultant

ABSiteSafe@outlook.com · 07487 592 063 · absitesafe.co.uk

COSHH Assessment (cont.) — Key Procedures, Emergency Actions & Sign-Off · Ref: COSHH-HI-2026-01
Illustrative Sample — Fictional Studio · Not for Operational Use
Underpinning Controls & Duties
  1. Universal (standard) precautions: every client's blood/fluids treated as infectious, regardless of any health disclosure.
  2. Sterilisation & single-use: needles, tubes & ink caps single-use only; any re-usable instruments cleaned then sterilised in a validated autoclave (vacuum/steam) with cycle records & periodic testing retained.
  3. Hand hygiene & gloving: wash-then-glove before each client; change gloves between clients, on tear, and between "dirty" and "clean" tasks.
  4. Environment: smooth, non-porous, cleanable surfaces & floors; no eating/drinking at stations; clinical & general waste segregated.
  5. Immunisation: Hepatitis B vaccination offered to all who penetrate skin; records kept.
  6. Training & competence: all artists & the apprentice trained in infection control, sharps handling & spill response; refreshed and recorded.
  7. Information: this assessment, SDS folder & the infection-control procedure available to all staff; aftercare advice given to every client.
  8. Registration: studio & artists registered with the local authority under the Local Government (Misc. Provisions) Act 1982; byelaw conditions met.
Legal & Standards Basis
  • COSHH 2002 (as amended) — incl. Reg 7 & Schedule 3 for biological agents.
  • EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits (4th Ed.) — chemical agents.
  • Management of H&S at Work Regs 1999 — suitable & sufficient risk assessment.
  • PPE at Work Regs 1992 (amended 2022) — provision & use of gloves/eye protection.
  • Local Government (Misc. Provisions) Act 1982, s.14–17 — registration of tattooing / skin piercing & byelaws.
  • Environmental Protection Act 1990, s.34 — waste duty of care (clinical/sharps waste).
  • RIDDOR 2013 — report a sharps injury exposing a worker to a BBV where it results in a reportable injury/disease.
  • HSE guidance: "Blood-borne viruses in the workplace" (INDG342); infection-control good practice for tattooists.

Note: the Health & Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regs 2013 apply specifically to healthcare employers; the equivalent good-practice controls are adopted here voluntarily as best practice.

Emergency Action — Sharps / Needlestick Injury or Blood Splash
  1. Encourage bleeding of the wound gently — do NOT suck.
  2. Wash the area thoroughly with soap & running water; splashes to eyes/mouth rinsed copiously with water/saline.
  3. Cover the wound with a waterproof dressing.
  4. Assess & seek help urgently — attend A&E / occupational health the same day; HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is most effective within 1 hour and of little value after 72 hours.
  5. Record in the sharps-injury log & accident book (date, source if known, action taken).
  6. Report under RIDDOR where reportable; review this assessment after any injury.

Blood spill: don gloves/apron → cover with paper towel → apply chlorine-releasing solution (~10,000 ppm) → observe contact time → remove & bag as clinical waste → clean & re-disinfect surface. Never mix chlorine product with other chemicals.

Assessment Prepared By
Alexander Banister — AB SiteSafe
Reviewed / Accepted By
Daniel Mercer — Harbour Ink Studio Ltd
Next Review Due
July 2027 — or on product/procedure change, incident, sharps injury, or new health information

AB SiteSafe · ABSiteSafe@outlook.com · 07487 592 063 · absitesafe.co.uk · Professional Indemnity & Public Liability Insured

Page 2 of 2 · Illustrative sample document — fictional studio, not for operational use · © 2026 AB SiteSafe