As of the 24th of August 2023, safety training is mandatory for all individuals who use polyurethane (PU) adhesives and sealant products with a minimum concentration of 0.1% monomeric diisocyanate for professional or industrial purposes.
Under the new regulations, all employees must be trained and certified before handling PU adhesives or sealants containing diisocyanate. Three levels of training – General, Intermediate and Advanced – correspond to the varying risk levels staff face depending on their application of diisocyanate-containing products.
Employers must provide their staff with the appropriate training programme and record their training history and certification. Certificates are valid for five years. After this period, employees will need to renew their certification.
The new training regulations have been introduced as part of the EU and UK’s expansion of REACH – the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.
Mandatory safety training is now only compulsory for individuals who work with products containing diisocyanate in a professional or industrial capacity. It is not a requirement for DIY users.
FEICA, representing the European adhesive and sealant industry, has launched an online training portal for EU member states. More information on training in the EU can be found at https://www.safeusediisocyanates.eu/.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is finalising and implementing the new polyurethane adhesives and sealant products training UK requirements.
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