News | New obligations for safe use of diisocyanates
New obligations for safe use of diisocyanates
01/03/2023
A new restriction on diisocyanates was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 4 August 2020.
Working with diisocyanates can cause respiratory and dermal hypersensitivity. To ensure that workers can continue to work safely with diisocyanates, new training requirements will become mandatory from 24 August 2023 for professional and industrial users of products with a total concentration of monomer diisocyanate above 0.1% (by weight). The new regulation only applies to dealers and industry. A few years ago, a separate regulation for consumer/DIY use came into force.
What does this restriction mean?
Labelling requirements on packaging
Products placed on the market from 24 February 2022 will bear a clearly visible reference to the training requirement on the label. Only if it is not possible to display this on the product packaging there is an obligation to include the reference in the product's safety data sheet. Resiplast products subject to these restrictions already bear the appropriate label. The concentration of PUMA-based Polyac® products is below the limit value and the restrictions therefore do not apply to the Polyac® range.
All users trained and certified
According to the new restriction, suppliers of diisocyanates ensure, on the one hand, that the recipient receives training materials and courses in the official language(s) of the Member State(s) where the substance(s) or mixture(s) are supplied. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their employees have successfully completed training on the safe use of diisocyanates before using or handling the substance or mixture. The training should take into account the specificity of the products supplied, including composition, packaging and design. All professional or industrial handlers of products containing diisocyanates must complete application training by 24 August 2023 and then receive a certificate allowing further use.
Where can I find information about the training courses?
Two European chemical organisations, ISOPA & ALIPA, have designed a website and developed a training program around the safe use of diisocyanates for industrial and professional users. At www.safeusediisocyanates.eu suppliers and users can find all the necessary material to be trained according to REACH requirements. The platform offers several training paths, including specific content for coating applications. There is customized training for each application area.
Where do diisocyanates occur?
Diisocyanates are used as reactive chemicals or building blocks for Polyurethane (PU) products; they react with the polyol to form the PU product and are consumed during curing. The substance is not found in finished articles.
Will PU products remain on the market?
The restriction is intended to prevent unsafe handling of diisocyanates and not to limit product availability. Because of their unique properties in many applications, PU products will remain widely available.
Is this training a one-off?
Each employee will need to be trained once every five years, with the content and training duration depending on the use of diisocyanates in combination with the specific task.
Where can I find the European regulation?
The regulation is included in the Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1149 of 3 August 2020 and can be consulted in different European languages on the website of the European Union: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content.
Where can I get more specific information?
For more information on the regulations and training procedures see also ISOPA & ALIPA's English language guide: A guide to the REACH Restriction applying to diisocyanates: a-guide-to-the-reach-restriction-applying-to-diisocyanates For product-specific questions, please contact info@resiplast.be
